


One More Battle Scar

by Rangergirl3



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Humor, Blood, Blood and Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Shiro (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Team Voltron Family, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-08 08:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15239268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangergirl3/pseuds/Rangergirl3
Summary: Keith and Shiro crash-land on a hostile planet. Things get worse from there. But when the nightmares come for you, a trusted friend at your side makes all the difference in the world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the VLD Gen Mini-Bang. Art is by the one and only amazing arrowcomix.

Of _course_ there was a wormhole that pulled their two-man scouting ship off-course. Crash-landing on a planet full of nightmare-worthy creatures was just an added bonus.

That, or the universe just had one Hell of a grudge against the two of them. 

Keith wasn't quite sure.

* * *

He tried again to reach Coran on the comms, but the atmosphere on this planet caused too much interference for him even to get a signal.

“Damn it,” he muttered. “Shiro, any luck?”

A short distance away, the Black Paladin looked up. He’d been examining the wreckage of their ship, trying to see if anything other than themselves had survived the crash.

“Nothing,” he answered. “Then again, given the landing…I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Keith grunted in an affirmative sort of way. “Yeah…that was…pretty intense.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow as he got to his feet, but he was also smiling as he did. “That’s definitely one way of putting it.”

He came to stand by Keith, and together, they took in their surroundings.

"Well. It's probably not inhabited," Keith said. "But then, maybe some species like dead, empty terrain?"

" _And_ what seem to be randomly placed active volcanos?"

Keith shrugged. "It's a big universe. Maybe some do."

Shiro couldn't hold back a quiet chuckle. "Fair enough. The real question is, do we think these hypothetical species are easy-going and hospitable?"

Something caught Keith's eye. He knelt down on one knee, reached out, and took a handful of the rough earth, inspecting it.

"Shiro, look - this is _sand -_ and I think it's - yeah, it's dark red. Is that - is that normal around volcanoes? I mean, I'm not sure, but -"

Keith looked up just in time to see Shiro's face go a few shades paler. The Black Paladin's eyes were darting back and forth, searching the terrain for threats.

The Red Paladin was back on his feet in an instant. "Shiro? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

* * *

Out of habit, Shiro almost said 'yes'. 

_\- It was probably nothing, he was just jumping at shadows -_

But he wasn't all right, because sand was exactly the kind of terrain that - that -

"Shiro?!"

Keith was at his side now, shaking him by the shoulder, as if trying to wake Shiro up from a dream.

_\- but no one could run away from a nightmare - the nightmare always caught you in the end -_

"Shiro, you look like you've seen a ghost - come on, let's get somewhere you can rest -"

With a great effort, Shiro managed to find his voice.

"Not - not here," he said. "We have to - we have to get to higher ground. Right now."

He turned on his heel, saw that the nearest slope was at least ten feet away. The blood-red sand at their feet made it seem like ten miles. Right beside him, Keith raised his foot, about to head torwards the higher slopes.

" ** _No_**!"

Quick as lightning, Shiro grabbed hold of Keith's shoulder. Fear made it difficult to think, and even more difficult to speak, but this was Keith, his friend, and Shiro would be damned before letting his friend just die in front of him.

At Shiro's desperate whisper, Keith halted, one foot on the ground, the other still in the air.

 _\- it'll hear you - and it'll find you - and then -_

"Shiro? What's -"

"Keith, listen - we've got to stay quiet, and unless we're getting to higher ground, we can't move," Shiro said. He kept his voice low. He knew Keith had questions, but they _had_ to get to higher ground before it was too late, so he went on, hating how his own voice was shaking.

"It - it can sense movement on the sand - that's how it hunts - so - so here's what we're going to do. We'll both count to three. On three, I'm going to activate my jet pack, and I'll head towards the rocks. Follow my lead, and it'll be okay. Can you do that?"

The fear was too much. Shiro knew he was trembling, and he hated himself for it, because it might scare his friend, and Shiro was a leader - a leader was supposed to convey confidence, strength, courage, and right now, Shiro was failing.

 _\- Is the great warrior_ **_afraid_?** _I thought you would be more of a challenge -_

But Keith didn't sound scared when he answered. He kept his voice low too, following Shiro's lead. "Okay. Sure, I can do that. No problem."

Keith's calm agreement to get to safety helped stem the panic surging through Shiro's veins. One of the other Paladins might have asked questions instead, but Keith's simple trust meant that he and Shiro could work seamlessly as a team.

He would explain everything to Keith, but only when it was safe to rest.

 _First, they_ **_had_ ** _to get away from the blood-red sand._

* * *

Once they were both safely on the slopes of the volcano, Keith made Shiro sit down. The man looked as if he'd seen some eldritch abomination - and as Keith considered Shiro to be the bravest person he'd ever met, he took that as a warning. 

The Red Paladin unsheathed his bayard and activated it. Then, true to form, Keith said what was on his mind.

"Okay, Shiro. Now that we're on higher ground, how about you tell me what I should kill. Should I go for its eyes? What's it weak spot?"

When Shiro glanced up at him, Keith shrugged. "Hey. Other people would tell you it's all going to be fine. But you know me. I don't really know how to do - the whole - feelings stuff. But I can kill pretty much anything, especially if it's something threatening my friend."

He grinned back at Shiro, hoping to have made his friend at least smile, but Shiro only shook his head. When he answered Keith, his voice was still difficult to hear. It was barely more than a whisper.

"I don't - I don't think anyone can kill what's - what's underneath the sand. All you can do - is - is run - but - "

* * *

Shiro knew he was still shaking, but the sight of the red sand slipping between Keith's fingers had brought back a whirlwind of awful memories and emotions.

Even as Shiro tried to tell Keith that as long as they stayed on the rocks, everything would be okay, memories of his time in the arena surged into his mind, and the words he needed to say fragmented and fell apart. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, and everything was whirling and tilting around him as if he were on a ship in the middle of a storm.

Desperate for air, Shiro wrenched off his helmet and flung it aside before putting his hands over his ears, but still the noise pounded inside his head, and the memories that came with them made him sick.

 _The chanting of the crowds for more blood, the screams of the other Gladiators as they died - the smile of the nightmare as it turned towards him_ -

Keith was at his side now, but even though Shiro could see that Keith's mouth was moving, he couldn't make out the words. Instead, all he could hear was the nightmare's laughter as it circled him - and then reality fell away, and Shiro was a prisoner once again, surrounded by the roaring of the crowd as he faced what lived beneath the blood-stained sands of the arena.

The sand had turned red all around him as the other Gladiators died, their screams cut off as the thing underneath the sands caught them and tore them apart and - 

_The arena's walls dripped scarlet, and the sand beneath his feet ran with blood. The nightmare was going to kill him too, it never left anyone alive once it began to feed -_

When it had first entered the arena, desperate fear and paralyzing dread were what had saved Shiro. When all of the other Gladiators had panicked and tried to run, Shiro had been frozen to the spot in horror.

It enjoyed hunting the others. Like a cat with a mouse, it played with its food before devouring it.

_\- Are you going to run too, little Champion, or will you stand and fight? -_

It had asked that as it turned towards him, and although Shiro wanted to believe it was just terror making him see things, he _knew_ the thing had been smiling.

_Bone legs clicking on the arena's walls as it scuttled behind him like a spider, hissing laughter from the blood-stained beak as Shiro turned in place, trying to keep it in his line of sight._

The crowd, roaring for bloodshed.

_The attack. Dodging a fraction of a second before it would have been too late. Blinding agony across his face._

His eyes. The thing had tried to take his eyes. Blood ran down his face.

 _Shiro hated blood - he tasted it in his mouth, he felt it on his skin, he would never be free from it - he'd killed and_ **_killed_ ** _and there was nothing he could ever do to take that stain away -_

Someone was shouting a name -

"Shiro!"

He didn't recognize the name at first, because in the arena, his name was Champion -

"Shiro, please, wake up!"

It couldn't be the crowd - and Matt and Sam were gone -

"TAKASHI!"

_His - name?_

_His_ **_first_ ** _name?_

 _"_ Takashi, please, just listen to me - you're not in the arena - you're my friend, and -"

_But there weren't any friends in the arena, it was kill or be killed - how -_

The person near him spoke as if they were worried sick about him.

"Takashi, I'm here - it's me - it's Keith - I - I broke into the quarantine zone and got you out - do you - do you remember that?"

_Quarantine. Trying to warn people about - danger -_

"Yeah, you did - and then I - uh - caused a distraction - you want to know what I did?"

_\- uh -_

"Okay, so, um, I set off this insane series of explosions in the sand dunes - don't worry, it was just noise and light, no one got hurt - but it distracted all of Garrison long enough for me to get you out - remember? Lance and I argued about who got to save you?"

 _\- Lance_ -

The voice sounded relieved. "Yeah, Lance - you know, the Blue Paladin - he and I argue all the time. It's sort of like a routine now."

_\- Blue - Paladin -_

Keith's voice continued. "Yeah - you pilot the Black Lion, and so you're our leader - you're great at it - and one time all five of us had this squishy asteroid fight - it was like a snowball fight in space - and then Pidge learned how to like, re-code the DNA of plants or something - I don't really know how, but she _is_ a genius, so - "

 _\- Pidge_ - 

"Oh, yeah, she goes by 'Katie' too - but I just sort of call her whichever one now, and she's cool with it - she's the Green Paladin - and she and Hunk are like, the science all-stars - um - do you remember Hunk? He can make food out of almost anything and it always tastes better than food goo-"

_\- Food goo - oh - like a - food fight? -_

Keith sounded like he was smiling now. "Yeah! The food goo fight! See? You know this. You got this, Takashi. You're doing great."

Shiro felt sort of better. Not much, but enough where he felt like he might be able to try to open his eyes. When he did, the Black Paladin saw that Keith was sitting right by him.

"Hey, Shiro," Keith said. His shoulders were tense, his eyes worried, but his voice was steady. "It's okay. Take your time."

* * *

Sweat ran down Shiro's face, and it took him a few more seconds to realize that he'd fallen onto the ground and put his back against a rock sometime during the flashback. He didn't remember how that had happened. His throat hurt, too.

_Had he been screaming?_

_Don't let them hear you scream - the Druids will come for you and make it worse -_

Fear made his stomach roil and churn, but there was nothing in his stomach to throw up, so in the end, he just felt awful and ashamed and embarrassed for showing fear. For what felt like forever, he avoided looking back at Keith.

But when Keith spoke again, he didn't sound disgusted, or angry. He just sounded...sad. 

"It's okay, Shiro. It's okay. I'm right here, and I'll kick whatever ass I need to, no problem. That's my job - 'cause I'm your right-hand man."

Shiro heard someone let out what might have been a shaky laugh, and it was only after a few moments he realized it was him.

" - Literally - " Keith went on, and he almost sounded like he was trying to make a joke. "See, I'm the Red Paladin, _and_ I'm the right arm of Voltron, and I'm, uh, your best friend, so - "

Shiro saw Keith give him a mischievous smirk before he continued.

"-oh, _and_ I gave Iverson a permanent wink when he pulled that stupid freaking publicity stunt - you're welcome, by the way."

Shiro felt his mouth twitch into a brief smile, and he managed to contribute. " - and - Keith - we're both part-Galra - technically speaking - so - I guess we are related. Sort of."

Keith looked at him blankly for a second before getting the joke.

"Shiro, I don't know if I can laugh at that -"

Shiro pushed himself onto his feet. "Well, if I can, I think you can too - besides, it's not as if -"

As Keith stood up, he kept his gaze fixed on Shiro and finished the sentence for him. "-it's not as if it makes a real difference in who you are."

Shiro punched Keith's shoulder again, a bit harder this time. " _Yes_."

Keith punched him back. "Okay then. Just make sure you listen to your own advice, Sensei."

Shiro raised an eyebrow at him then. "What now?"

Keith sighed and gave his old friend a long-suffering look. "You," he said, very slowly, "are _also_ not defined by where you come from."

Shiro frowned at that, looking down at the ground.

"Keith, the arena - it's - it's different - "

He could tell his friend would have crossed his arms defiantly if his bayard hadn't been in one hand.

"Different how, exactly?" Keith asked.

Shiro still couldn't look back at Keith as he answered.

"Keith, in the arena - I - I killed a lot of people before - before the Druids took me away. I'm not - I'm not the same person you knew - before Kerberos."

* * *

Keith didn't say anything for a moment, but when he spoke again, his voice was still as even as before. 

"I know. But you're still my friend."

Shiro looked up sharply at that. Keith was still looking at him with that open, honest look.

" - but - but I - "

Keith shook his head.

"Shiro, you've been through Hell - and I know that - that bad things happened - but I _know_ you. I know you never wanted any part of the arena."

Shiro had to look away again. "Sometimes, I'm not so sure."

Keith thought for a moment before continuing. "Shiro, there's a difference between surviving something and enjoying it. Please, just - just hear me out, okay? You fought. You killed. You survived. Can we agree on that?"

Shiro nodded. "Okay. Yes."

Keith when on. "Did you go into the arena _wanting_ to kill anyone?"

Shiro didn't answer.

Keith went on. "I'm not talking about the rules of the arena here, I'm talking about you, your free will. Did you have _any_ choice about fighting in the arena?"

Shiro shook his head. "...no..."

Keith continued. "And when you took Matt's place against Myzax, did you _want_ to kill anyone? Because 'you wanted blood'?"

Shiro grimaced. "No, but - "

Keith cut in. "But _nothing_ , Shiro. You took a friend's place to save his life, and you did that at the risk of your own. So you fought in a kill or be killed situation. That doesn't make you a monster."

Shiro had to look away again. "It's not that simple, Keith."

Keith let out a brief sigh and shrugged one shoulder. "It is to me."

Shiro wasn't sure how to answer that. A few moments later, Keith went on.

"I know that some things are different now - but I just - I just wanted to tell you that I'm still your friend. Okay?"

When Shiro glanced back at Keith, the Red Paladin was looking down at the ground, as if trying to find the right words to say.

"-and - and that I've got your back."

Just then, a voice came over Shiro's helmet comms.

* * *

"-ello? --iro? Ke---? Can anyone hear me?"

Shiro quickly put his helmet back on.

"I can hear you," he said. Keith nodded at him, signaling that he was also receiving the communication.

"Oh, thank the stars," Coran said. The relief in his voice was almost palpable. "Are either of you injured?"

"No," Keith said, "but the terrain is - uh - pretty unfriendly. How fast do you think you can get here?"

"-t a tic, Number Four," Coran said. "The Princess is calculating how close we can get to you without using a wormhole -"

Shiro and Keith exchanged confused looks.

"Um - why isn't using a wormhole a good idea?" Keith asked just as Shiro was about to.

Static flared over the line, making both Keith and Shiro wince, but it flared out in time for them to hear Coran come back on.

"-orry, so sorry - Paladins? Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Shiro said. "We lost you for a second, but you're back."

"Ah, yes, well, that is the problem," Coran said. His tone was apologetic. "It seems that the system you crash-landed in is _particularly_ temperamental. In order to use a wormhole, we would have to calculate the precise moment to arrive, or else - um, what did you say happened to your shuttle again?"

"It experienced some turbulence, and then it...exploded," Keith said, with a completely straight face. It took Shiro a moment to place the reference, but when he did, he couldn't hold back a chuckle.

“Which is precisely what we'd like to avoid with the Castle," Coran said. "But given the Castle's greater size, it's even more difficult to-"

Another voice came in over the comms. "Paladins, I need to know what the planet's terrain in your vicinity is - immediately."

Allura sounded - worried -

"Uh -" Keith said, but Shiro described it, briefly, but in as much detail as possible.

"You _must_ find shelter," she said. "Based on your description, I think there may be a Galra outpost near your location. I'm sending you the schematics now, in case -"

Static shrieked again, and it became too much for Keith. He pulled off his helmet, swearing under his breath, and eyed it distrustfully.

"What the hell is wrong with this thing today?" He muttered under his breath. "First it screws up the landing coordinates, and now this. It's like it hates me or something."

Shiro didn't hear him. He was too busy conferring with Allura about the Castle's projected arrival time to notice that Keith didn't have his helmet on.

Only a few seconds later, that fact ended up saving both their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

Keith shook his head a few times in a useless attempt to make the ringing sound in his ears go away.

_But wait...he'd just heard something else, coming from behind them. Something...slithering?_

Keith turned to survey their surroundings again, just in time to see a flicker of swift, muscular movement disappear behind one of the many boulders surrounding them.

"Shit," he said, and he took a defensive stance with his bayard, calling over his shoulder to Shiro as he did so. "We may have trouble - tell Allura- "

But Allura was already shouting at them both to get away from the monster.

Not that she needed to.

The serpent had already attacked.

* * *

In all honesty, Keith thought, the word 'serpent' didn't really do this thing justice. 'Snake monster' was close - but still, it didn't quite express the massive predatory bulk that came slithering between the boulders towards them.

This snake was the size of a city bus, with spikes all over its massive body, and what seemed to be a barbed tail made out of even more spikes at its tip. Its jaw was filled with needle-sharp teeth - not just two, like a rattlesnake might have had, but _three_ _full_ _rows_ on both the top and bottom jaw. Once its’ prey was caught, those serrated jaws would grind it into hamburger meat before the monster swallowed its meal.

_Well. That's certainly an incentive not to get bitten._

Even as the snake lunged towards him, Keith felt as if time slowed down. He flung himself to one side, shoving Shiro to the other, and the snake missed them both by millimeters. Keith had hoped that maybe, in this case, big monster = dumb monster, and perhaps, if they were very, very lucky, it would just brain itself on a boulder or something, but instead, this monster just twisted back on itself and reared back, baring its' fangs in a deadly smile and swaying from side to side.

 _Is it trying to hypnotize us_? Keith thought. _Shit_ - _maybe we could jump on its back and Shiro could burn one of its eyes shut with his Galra hand -_

But Shiro was still on the ground, looking up at the snake, and Keith saw, to his horror, that Shiro's face had gone completely pale. He looked as if he were facing something out of his worst nightmare as the snake came even closer, it's black forked tongue flicking out to taste the air.

_I've got to distract it. I've got to make it angry, so that it makes a stupid mistake. I've got to kill this thing before it kills my friend._

"HEY!!" Keith shouted, taking out the knife he'd inherited from his mother out of its scabbard and awakening the blade so that now, he held two swords, one in each hand. He began running towards the snake, ready to begin a fight to the death.

" _HEY_!! **_NAGINI_**!!! _OVER HERE_!!"

The snake paid no attention to his shout. Its' giant, memorizing eyes were locked onto Shiro's, and it seemed as if the Black Paladin's muscles had been turned to stone. The snake slithered forwards, the hideous jaws opening wide to swallow the prey whole. Once that was accomplished, death would follow in a matter of heartbeats.

_Not on my watch, you fucking snake._

Keith roared in fury as he leapt into the air, using his jet pack for extra momentum. Even as he leapt, he slashed down with the two swords, cutting into the poison green skin and causing the snake to rear backwards in startled pain, away from Shiro.

The serrated jaws clamped shut inches away from Shiro's face, and as it turned to face the Red Paladin, Keith cut the power to his jet pack, allowing him to fall directly onto the snake's back, almost two-thirds of the way along its body. Even as he landed, the snake moved with a panther's speed, thrashing and bringing its spiked tail into play. The mace-like tail crashed into Keith's midsection, causing him to stagger a few steps backwards, but his armor held, and he kept his balance by whirling his blades in each hand. It had the added bonus of making him feel like a total badass.

_I guess it does pay to be ambidextrous._

He ran forwards, along the snake's back, barely avoiding a bite that, if had landed, would have taken his head off. With some help from his jet pack, Keith jumped the last several feet, letting out a furious roar as he plunged both swords into the back of snake's neck.

Then the snake monster did something that Keith hadn't expected.

It _laughed_.

* * *

As it did so, it raised its spiked tail once more, and although Keith braced himself for another strike, it used a different attack.

The spikes shot out of the tail, some heading straight for Keith's head, but most of them aiming for his arms, legs, and torso.

Keith acted completely on instinct. He tightened his grip on both of his swords and, instead of trying to pull them out of the snake's neck, he put all of his weight and strength into making the snake's vast head turn to one side.

Normally, Keith wouldn't have tried a hazardous tactic like this against a new and unexpected attack, but Shiro was nearby, and in danger, and if Keith died, Shiro would die, and that wasn't an option Keith was willing to consider.

 _So Keith would have to live, and to do that, he had to_ **_win._**

One barbed spike sank into Keith's right shoulder, another into his left leg, but despite all odds, the Red Paladin's desperate bet paid off. The majority of the spikes sank into the snake's own underbelly, causing it to hiss and writhe in pain. As it did, Keith managed to finally wrench the blades free.

 _Strike. Now!_

With a roar, the Red Paladin plunged both swords into the spot directly between the snake's eyes.

The monster's shriek was physically painful to endure, but Keith didn't let go, even when the snake began to thrash and buck, even when its death throes pinned him against a rock pile and almost crushed him in its final agony, even as the immense weight forced the barbed spikes deeper into his shoulder and leg, causing him to scream.

 _Endure it,_ Keith told himself _. You can do this_.

Even after it had stopped thrashing, the monster's blood, black and smoking, poured onto his armor, covering his chest, arms and hands. Keith managed to turn his head in time to avoid the worst of it, but some still splashed onto the side of his face, and it _hurt_.

_Okay...so...it seems this monster's blood is - is actually - acid - well, that's not good -_

His armor began to fizz and bubble, and Keith gagged at the smell of it, but he tried to remain calm, all the same. This snake was dead, and he refused to die because of its sticky, smelly, smelting-temperature acid blood.

_I'll be fine - I'll be fine - I'll get out of here - I'll be fine -_

Then, a final, awful death spasm caused the spikes in his flesh to dig even deeper into his already damaged armor, twisting and bending under the snake's great weight. There was an awful snapping sound from somewhere deep inside Keith's chest-piece, and then large cracks appeared through the center of the chest-piece and down along the arms.

In desperation, Keith tried activating his jet pack, but it had been damaged when the snake's coils first pinned him against the rocks.

"Keith!"

Shiro was calling his name, but Keith could neither speak nor move. He was pinned into place under an immense weight, frozen in silent terror, and there was nothing he could do to keep the monster's blood from dripping through the chinks in his broken armor.

* * *

When the first drops of the smoking black blood burned through his undersuit and hit his skin, it hurt enough to make the world fade in and out of focus.

" _Keith_!"

He tried again to wrench free, but his efforts only make the blood fall more quickly onto his unprotected flesh.

_It hurt worse than he ever imagined anything could hurt._

" ** _Keith_**!"

 _He can't see, he can't think, he can't speak, the pain is so bad - please - Shiro - please -_

"Keith, I'm here, hold on!"

The strain is too much. Even as Shiro grips the Red Paladin by the shoulders, Keith's fractured armor shatters into pieces, and then -

 _Agony_.

At last, but much too late, Keith's world goes black.

* * *

The first time Keith wakes up, he arches his back and _screams_.

_His chest hurts, his arms, his hands. He never imagined anything could hurt this much. It feels as if hot needles are piercing the skin - it aches, and burns, and throbs, all at the same time -_

Shiro is nearby, but as much as Keith tries, he can't make sense of what Shiro's trying to tell him.

_He can't get enough air -_

" **Keith**!"

_The acid - Shiro doesn't know about the acid -_

Keith forces himself to open his eyes, to stay awake at least long enough to tell Shiro about the monster's blood - because he can't rest now, he has to warn his friend about the acid - because - because Shiro already lost an arm -

_Shiro, don't let the blood touch you, it's acid, don't let it touch you -_

Shiro's voice is strained, cracked.

_Shiro's scared._

"I'm fine - Keith, please, listen to me - "

_Why is Shiro scared?_

"Keith, you have to rest, please, you've _got_ to rest - you’re covered in burns -"

 _The monster - its blood - it -_

"We're going to make it better, okay, we'll put you in a pod and it'll be all better -"

_I can't - I can't move my arms - Shiro - why can't I - move my arms -_

"-it's going to be okay, Keith, I _promise_ -"

_It hurts - Shiro - help me - please - Shiro - it hurts -_

"I know, Keith - I'm sorry - I'm _so_ sorry - "

_It hurts - it hurts - please - Shiro - it hurts -_

The pain is too much. Something in his mind shuts down, and Keith feels all of his awareness draining away.

_Shiro - where are we - and - and why can't I -_

But the darkness claims him before he can finish asking the question.

_Why can't I see?_


	3. Chapter 3

Just as Keith slips back into unconsciousness, Shiro hears the sounds of voices. At first, hope gets the better of him, and he looks into the sky, thinking that maybe the Castle has already come into the atmosphere, or maybe one of the Lions -

But it's neither of those.

It's a Galra patrol - five, ten, maybe even fifteen soldiers, from the sound of their footsteps.

There's only one reason to have this many soldiers out on patrol together.

This isn't just a perimeter check.

_The Galra already know they're here._

* * *

Desperately _,_ Shiro looks around the plateau he and Keith are on. 

At first glance, there aren't any obvious caves or overhangs they could use as shelter - and running up the slope is completely out of the question. Keith's in no shape to run anywhere, and Shiro isn't going to leave his oldest friend behind for some monster to find, Galra or otherwise.

_It's just like the arena - nowhere to run, nowhere to hide._

His left hand is shaking.

 _Old habits die hard._

The patrol is coming closer, and from their voices, he can tell these aren't robotic sentries. These are real Galra soldiers.

 _Quit wasting time, Shirogane._ ** _Get_** **_moving_** _._

Shiro grinds his teeth together and _forces_ himself to take action.

A hasty inspection of the slope above them leads to a fortunate discovery - a series of rough, natural pathways, weaving between the various boulders.

_At least they can try to stay out of sight in there. It's rough terrain, too - so it's possible that he can find a place to hide with Keith until their friends come for them. Best of all, it's almost impossible to leave legible tracks on rock like this._

He knows that what is to follow won't be easy, but it's the only way to keep them both out of the Galra's hands.

Even as he strides over towards Keith's unconscious body, Shiro makes some necessary adjustments to his own helmet. Just as he's about to take it off, a patchy signal from the Castle makes it through once more.

It's from Pidge. She's already on her way in the Green Lion, and the others are right behind her.

Shiro sums up the situation, and then he asks her a question.

"Katie - listen - I need you to do something for me."

"Sure, Shiro, anything."

"I've adjusted my helmet's settings. It won't be perfect, but it should keep the Galra from hearing Keith if he - if he wakes up again. Can you keep your comms line open and - and - and try to talk to him? Let him know he's not alone?"

Hurtling through subspace in the Green Lion, Katie Holt wrinkles her nose in genuine confusion.

"But - I thought you said he was unconscious."

Shiro's answer is grim. "He's probably not going to stay that way for long."

* * *

Now he's reached Keith, and he has to steel himself for what's coming next.

“If you need to, you can mute his side," he said, and some part of him feels sick at how evenly and steadily he can tell one of his friends to ignore someone else's screams of pain. “His voice won't carry through the helmet, anyway. That's kind of the point."

"But -"

"Katie - he's not - he's not himself right now, and - and he wouldn't want you, or anyone else, to hear him when he's like this."

Shiro has to break off for a moment, because he doesn't want to do this, he doesn't want to hurt his friend by moving him in this state, but there's no other option. After a few seconds, he resumes the conversation with Pidge.

"He'll be able to hear you, even if you can't hear him. And - and it would - help - to know - that he doesn't feel alone."

Katie nods. Shiro pretends he didn't see her brush a few tears away, and she pretends that it this going to be a normal kind of comms call.

"Got it, Shiro. Let's do this."

Without further hesitation, Shiro takes off his helmet and places it over Keith's head, and it activates noiselessly, just like normal.

 _It looks more like a Blade's mask than a Paladin's helmet_ , Shiro thinks, but he knows he can't put this off any longer. Keith is already stirring, sensing that someone is near, and Shiro knows that the sooner they find a place to hide, the sooner this is going to be over with.


	4. Chapter 4

_Someone's nearby._

Keith knows that someone is standing near him, but he can't tell who it is.

_Why can't he see?_

No one answers his question, but he hears a voice, all the same.

"Hey, Keith - um - it's - Katie - here. Um...I heard you totally leveled up in badassary today. Great job, man. I'm going to have to up my game."

Keith frowns in dazed confusion. It's difficult for him to focus on anything, and it takes him a minute to understand what the person in his ear is saying.

_Oh...it's Katie...what...what was...that about...a...a game....oh...now he got it...she was saying...that he was...a good fighter..._

"-and Keith, I think you should know that Lance has a scoreboard in his room - it keeps track of how many times he's sniped something that you were about to kill. True, it's at one, but still. Thought you might like to know that Mr. Friendly Competition is trying to steal your thunder."

_...Lance...scoreboard...at...zero..._

Keith wants to tell Katie that he doesn't _want_ to compete with Lance all the time, he'd rather just read a book or something, but his head hurts - and he can't remember which book he wanted to read - and when he tries, he just remembers a drawing of a dragon - and then -

In a rush, he remembers the fight with the snake monster, and with that memory comes confusion _,_ and terror, and _pain_.

* * *

_Someone's carrying him - but whoever it is is running - and it hurts - it hurts -_

"Keith, listen, I'm here, okay? You are **not** alone. You've got me, and Shiro, and the rest of the team, and we are going to bring you home. You hear me, Keith? **Keith**?"

But Keith can't answer - because - because -

_\- he’s pinned against a rock wall - his already damaged armor breaking under the strain - and the monster's black blood is dripping onto his skin through the cracks -_

"Keith - it's going to be okay - we're on our way - and - and - I -"

_He can't even hear her clearly anymore - someone's crying - but it's not Katie - oh…it’s him..._

"Keith, it's okay - Shiro is with you - he's keeping you safe - he asked me to make sure you knew you weren't alone -"

 _He can't get away from the pain - he tries to ignore it - but it's too much - it hurts - it_ **_hurts_ ** _-_

"- and I'm on my way to you now, okay, Keith? We're going to get you all patched up and -"

 _Awful pain, burning, pounding agony, in his fingers, on his hands, all over his arms - oh, God - it hurts - it_ **_hurts_ ** _-_

"-oh, _Keith -_ it's - it's going to be fine - we're coming - I -I _promise_ -"

 _It hurts, Katie, it hurts so much, please - I can't - I can't_ **_see,_ ** _Katie -_

"Oh, shit - listen, Keith - Keith, there are hostiles approaching your position - we're coming, I swear, we're coming and I will _vine-bend_ through every _single_ Galra in my way if I have to -"

But then the person carrying him stumbles and falls, and when Keith hits the ground, he can't hear Katie anymore, only static, and panic gives him strength. He reaches up and manages to rip the helmet off of his head just in time to hear something that doesn't bode well for either himself or Shiro.

It’s laughter, but it's not coming from friends. Keith can tell the difference. He learned how to a long time ago.

* * *

Keith feels the old, familiar anger rise up in him.

 _There's nothing funny about this_.

Not unless you have a sick sense of humor.

Then he remembers that Shiro was with him, and he tries to listen, hard, to find where Shiro is now.

Someone's putting up a hell of a fight about ten paces away.

 _Yeah, that's definitely Shiro_.

Keith decides that he should join in. His injuries hurt, sure, they hurt like most people wouldn't believe, but he can still fight. He's Keith Akima Kogane, and he's _not_ going to just lie here and listen to Shiro fighting for his life.

He's landed on his side, which, given his injuries, is definitely _not_ the best place for him to be.

But, when he tries to get up, something heavy kicks him in the chest, and out of instinct, he throws his arms up in front of his face as he crashes down on his back.

More laughter. He tries to sit up, immediately regrets it.

As most of his upper body is covered with burns, pain spears through him again as a boot settles onto the center of his chest, presses him back onto the ground, and doesn't budge.

When Keith tries to wrest the heavy weight off his chest, he can't hold back a snarl as agony flares up across his burned skin. 

_These injuries are worse than he thought they were -_

He braces himself for another attempt, but something slices along his skin, first his right arm, then his left, almost faster than thought. The claws are deep enough to tear open several of the worst blisters, and that, in turn, exposes the raw, sensitive nerves to the open air.

The pain _that_ brings him is indescribable.

* * *

Someone's screaming. It's a horrible sound, harsh, breathless, and very nearby.

It's only when he gasps for air that Keith realizes that _he's_ the one who's screaming like a dying animal.

_...ugh...this day just keeps getting better...and better..._

Something heavy - it feels like another boot - presses hard against the side of his face, forcing Keith's head to turn to one side and lie flat on the ground. The sounds of the fight are coming from in front of him now, but Keith still can't see _anything_.

_Dammit - he can't tell who's winning - come on, Shiro, you can do this - don't get killed -_

As if sensing his thoughts, the two separate weights increase, and Keith has to bite back another cry of pain as his burned and blistered skin is forced down against the sharp rocks.

A clawed hand slashes across his chest, once, twice, tearing away the bloody, caked-on undersuit.

 _Damn - that_ **_hurts_ ** _\- damn it -_

Something's pulsing down from his forehead now - but without his sight, Keith can't tell if it's blood or pus.

_Well, that's just a lovely image._

For some reason, he's really glad Katie isn't here to see this - or Hunk - or Lance.

It's not because he doesn't think they could handle it - he knows they could. It's just - he doesn't _want_ them to see this. It's ugly, it's painful, and he doesn't want them to witness it.

_He's starting to understand why Shiro doesn't talk about the arena._

Claw-tipped fingers trace another line across his collarbone, and Keith hates himself for twitching in terror, and he hates himself even more for trying to shrink away. All he can do is give an awful, choked whimper because now, coherent words are beyond him.

_He doesn't want them to know he's scared - but they do know - and it feels like he's failed, somehow-_

"Don't make this any worse for yourself," someone growls. "Just tell your friend to stop fighting, like a good little half-breed."

Keith still can't see anything but flecks of white and black, but he bares his teeth in silent rage in answer at the unknown speaker all the same.

' _Half-breed.' Geez, they're not even trying all that hard with the insults. Somehow, that just makes the entire situation seem even worse._

"- _fuck_ \- _you_ ," he manages. Even those two words are harder to say than it should be. He's not sure if that's because of the boot crushing his face into the ground, or the web of increasing agony that continually pulses along his burned, blistered, and bleeding skin.

_It's okay. He can do this. He can -_

But once again, the claws dig into his skin, and this time, they’re right by his throat.

_Shit. One wrong move could be fatal._

* * *

Keith freezes into place once more, seething with futile rage.

"Champion!" The soldier holding his claws against Keith's neck shouts. "Surrender, or your friend dies!"

Keith's anger boils over.

 _He is_ **_not_ ** _a hostage, damn it,_ **_damn_ ** _it -_

"Don't do it, Shiro!" He shouts. "I'm f-"

But his words are cut off when the claws slash down, grazing his throat and scoring a deep gash across his chest. These new cuts are much, _much_ deeper than the ones on his arms, and the pain they cause him is enough to leave him gasping for air.

" _Stop it_!"

Shiro's voice is cracked, terrified. Keith has to fight to breathe now, but more than anything, he wishes he could _see_. Above him, the soldier's voice is amused.

"Only if you surrender, Champion," he says. "You'd best make up your mind soon. Your friend isn't doing well."

Keith manages to spit out blood just long enough to manage a wordless snarl up at his tormentor, who laughs before adjusting his stance, bringing his claws to rest against Keith's throat once again.

"Then again," the Galra soldier muses, "I _could_ just put him out of his misery."

The fear in Shiro's voice is almost palpable.

 _"No_ -"

The sounds of fighting alter, change, become something else - an almost eager silence.

Keith doesn't dare move, but inside, he's seething with anger.

 _Damn it, damn it,_ ** _damn_** **_it_** _._


	5. Chapter 5

It takes every ounce of Shiro's willpower to keep himself in place. One wrong move, and Keith dies. The surviving soldiers are circled around him, and there are three more over by Keith.

There's no way he can take them all out before one of them deals the Red Paladin a killing blow.

_He has to do this._

Even so, his throat's gone dry, and he has to swallow twice before he can get the words out.

"- I - I surrender. Just - just don't kill him. _"_

Keith's eyes are open but sightless. All the same, Shiro knows his friend would be glaring back at him if he could, because Keith is _beyond_ pissed off that he's being used against Shiro like this.

But Shiro won't hesitate to surrender if it means saving Keith's life.

_Keith is his friend._

Even as Shiro deactivates his weaponized right arm, the soldiers are on him. Two of them force him to kneel on the ground as another one pulls Shiro's arms behind his back. Shiro tries to keep his breathing even and steady, but he's terrified.

_It's just like the arena - he can't get away - he can't fight back - he can't escape -_

Someone slams a cuff above his right arm, just above the elbow - a mechanical lock, to keep him from using his Galra arm as a weapon against the Galra.

_Any way you look at it, that's rather ironic -_

Once they cuff his hands behind his back, they drag him over to where Keith lies pinned on the rough, rocky ground. After they throw the Black Paladin onto the ground beside his friend, they cuff Shiro's ankles together as well.

_No chance to run - no chance to get away -_

But Shiro holds back the panic with an effort of will, because he's not alone this time. Keith's here too, and he's in pain, and the least Shiro can do now is try to help his friend.

"Hey, Keith," Shiro says. "Uh - how are you feeling?"

Keith lets out a snort. The harsh exhalation of air scatters the gravel in front of his face. "Well - to be honest -”

He’s still struggling for air, and the sound makes Shiro feel sick at the thought of what might happen in the next few minutes.

_The Galra usually don’t keep injured prisoners alive for very long._

But Keith goes on. “…I sort of…feel like…my head's in a vice…” His voice isn’t strong, but it’s clear he’s trying to keep Shiro’s mind off of what lies in store for them both.

“…get…it…?…’cause…it sort of…is…with the foot...and the rocks...”

* * *

The effort at humor makes Shiro look over at Keith again and open his mouth to answer, but one of the Galra soldiers strikes him across the back of the head, causing him to grunt in surprised pain.

 _What the_ **_hell_ ** _? He hadn’t even said anything yet._

At the sound, Keith’s muscles stiffen, and he tries to get up again.

“Hey - _jackass_!” He snarls. It's clearly costing him to speak. The Red Paladin is rasping for breath between every word. ”He - _surrendered_ \- already - quit being - such an - assho-“

The same soldier kicks Keith in the stomach, and as the Red Paladin wheezes for air and writhes in pain, the soldier watches with an ugly smile on his face.

“Useless half-breed,” he sneers. But an instant later, the sneer vanishes when Shiro kicks the jackass very hard in the groin.

* * *

Keith manages a short, harsh laugh at the high-pitched squeal the Galra soldier makes.

"... _nice_..." He croaks.

Shiro snorts in answer. "You didn't even see that happen - how - "

Keith wheezes in breathless mirth. "...some things...are just that... _heh_...easy to predict..."

He tries to glare gleefully, but blindly back up at the group of enemy soldiers. "Take _that_ \- you - jackasses.... _ahahah_..."

Shiro thinks about telling Keith that he's actually facing about six feet too far to the right, but decides that's not really the important thing.

What _is_ important is surviving until Pidge and the others get here.

_But that's easier said than done._

_These soliders know him from the arena._

Deep in his bones, Shiro knows that this doesn't bode well.


	6. Chapter 6

"You think that one's up for a fight? It's bound to be hungry by now."

"Yeah, that's bound to be entertaining. For us, I mean. Not so much for the prisoners."

"I'll bet you five hundred gak that the fight's over in less half a varga."

"I'll take that bet - and raise you another five hundred that Champion doesn't die easy. I'm thinking it'll take at least a varga before the fight's truly over."

"This'll be interesting. His last fight never got decided, right?"

"Well, the witch wanted Champion alive back then - but I doubt the Druids need anything but the arm now."

"Either way, this'll be fun -"

* * *

As the soldiers continue to discuss their prisoner as if he wasn't there, Keith tries to learn more about the situation, because he's not on the mountain anymore. He remembers that much.

_Clawed fingers digging into his arms, cuffing his hands together. Murmurs and laughter around him that that he can't make out before his bound wrists are pulled above his head and someone starts dragging him backwards, away from Shiro, back down the mountain path._

_Then Shiro, shouting his name._

_He tries to fight, to break free and get back to Shiro, but the awful injuries along his chest and arms prevent him from accomplishing anything besides temporarily slowing the solider who was dragging him away._

_All that Keith's feeble efforts gain him is a harsh kick in the small of his back. As the solider's heavy boot drives all the breath from his lungs, Shiro's voice fades away into silence._

The pain had been too much. Keith had lost consciousness somewhere along the way.

* * *

Now that he's awake again, he needs to figure out what the enemy is planning for them.

But listening to the voices around him is no good. They've faded into shapeless sounds, unfamiliar and strange. He tries to focus on them, but it's too much effort.

_Okay. So listening is out...as is...sight..._

He tries to curl the fingers of his left hand into a fist, but that feat is beyond him.

 _Damn_... _movement's out too..._

Keith isn't sure how acid burns work - though given this line of work he _really_ should brush up on basic first aid -but he's fairly certain that loss of sight and debilitating pain are never good signs, even in the best of circumstances. Then again, maybe the snake's blood was a paralytic...that could explain why he can't move...and maybe why he can't see, either...

But his thoughts are interrupted when one of the soldiers says 'Champion'. With that word, Keith's hazy mind clears, and his objective becomes clear.

_He needs to find out where they've taken his friend, so that later, when he can fight, he can escape and find Shiro._

He's hurting, and it's bad, but if he can find out where Shiro is, it'll be worth it.

_He knows these guards may not even answer him, but there's nothing to be lost by asking...although their earlier treatment of him doesn't bode well._

Keith knows that he's at a disadvantage here. He can't see, or move, and he certainly can't defend himself - but there's a chance that these soldiers just _might_ tell him where Shiro is, and that makes it worth the risk.

 _He_ ** _has_** _to do this. No matter what it costs him, he_ ** _has_** _to find out where they took his friend_.

* * *

With an effort, Keith musters the last remnants of his strength and concentrates on the voices around him once more. His head aches, and it's difficult to stay awake, but he has to try.

 _Shiro is worth it. Shiro is worth this. Shiro is worth_ ** _anything_**.

When Keith is able to speak, his voice sounds nothing like it normally does. It's harsher, almost a growl. He has to fight to get each word out, rasping for breath between each word.

"...where...where's...Shiro...?"

As he asks the question, both of the guards stop walking. One of them grabs Keith by the right arm and lifts him up as if he weighed absolutely nothing. As that is the arm that's still bleeding from the embedded spike, it hurts like _hell_.

Out of instinct, Keith tries to wrench away from the soldier, but instead, the grip on his bad arm goes even tighter. The claws dig deeper into Keith's burned and blistered skin, and then his feet leave the ground completely. When his full weight comes down on his injured arm, Keith can’t help letting out a cry of pain.

 _But - he_ **_has_ ** _to_ _find Shiro. If Shiro's on his own, captured by the Galra - again -_

Despite his resolve, Keith almost passes out right there, but someone strikes him across the face, and then a voice he doesn't recognize is right beside his ear.

"And _why_ ," the voice asks, in a vaguely bored and annoyed manner, "do you care about _that_?"

* * *

At first, Keith doesn't understand. 

_Is this some kind of trick? A test, maybe? But the Galra just go for victory - why would they ask -_

The guard still holding Keith above the ground interrupts his thoughts.

"Sir, the fight's about to start - we have t-"

The cool, calm voice speaks again. "One moment, soldier. I want to hear his answer."

Keith's head hurts, and the burns over his arms and chest are a constant, never-ending pain. It's difficult to even think now, let alone talk, but one of Keith's defining characteristics is stubbornness, and so he manages to answer.

" - he's - he's - my - friend - "

The soldier gripping his bad arm snorts in derision, but that doesn't deter Keith at all, because it's true.

_...Shiro is his best friend..._

But he doesn't get the chance to say anything else before the pain engulfs him once again, making everything around him fade away.


	7. Chapter 7

In the worst of his nightmares, Shiro can never tell what's real, and what isn't.

_The day the Kereberos mission came across the Galra. Myzax's whirling orb of purple energy striking him in the chest, flinging him across the arena. The look of complete betrayal on Matt's face when Shiro struck him down._

Now, an empty cell stretches out before him, just like so many others he's seen before. When he looks down at himself, his armor is gone. Instead, he sees only the tattered purple and black clothing of a prisoner. A prisoner of the Galra.

_Maybe this is just another nightmare._

He paces the cell. He doesn't know how long he's been here.

_He can't remember how he got here, but his head hurts._

When he hears sounds outside his cell door, he can tell it's the mechanical sentries, keeping watch _._

_He starts to keep track._

But it's not enough. The nightmares shift and blur, taking new form inside his mind.

* * *

Monsters circle around him, their teeth bared. Maddened eyes shine in the dark. Claws dig into his neck, his back, his stomach.

_I don't want to die like this -_

The Druids stand over him, their needles and scalpels glinting in the cold, cruel light of Haggar's laboratory.

 _Let me go_ -

Sendak's words echo around the Castle.

_No - I'm not like you -_

Haggar, saying his Galra name, her voice staining it a red so deep he'll never be free of it.

_No - my name is Shiro - I'm not your Champion - my name is Shiro -_

The ache in his head intensifies, as if in answer to the name _._

_Champion._

* * *

The door to his cell opens, and four guards enter.

_They're here to take him to the arena._

He stumbles away from them, putting his back against the far wall.

 _They're not going to take him out of here without a fight._

When they tell him it's time to go, he laughs in their faces.

_Not a chance in Hell._

One of them looks smiles unpleasantly, says something to the others about the hostage -

_Hostage?_

Reality snaps back into place.

 ** _Keith_**.

* * *

The soliders. The mountain. 

The commander giving orders, turning back to where Shiro kneels on the ground as a few of the other soldiers begin to drag Keith away.

_You will fight in our arena, Champion, or your companion will face the consequences._

Shiro's not stupid. He knows a threat when he hears one.

_'Well? What is your answer?'_

For a few awful moments, Shiro can't answer. He's frozen into place, staring blindly down at the ground in front of his knees.

_He doesn't want to go back._

The very thought of it makes him _sick_ , and if it were just his own life at stake, he would refuse, point-blank.

 _No - I won't go back there - I_ **_won't_ ** _-_

In the past when he'd been a prisoner, he'd refused to fight, more than once, and been severely punished for it.

 _Beatings, torture, humiliation._

Over time, it all blurred together, but he still had the nightmares, and the scars.

_More than anything else, he'd hoped never to go back the arena - to that overwhelming smell of blood, and fear, and death that closed in, cutting off even the memory of freedom._

But this time, he won't be the one who will pay for the consequences of his choice.

_If Shiro doesn't fight, Keith will die._

So instead of snarling back a defiant answer, Shiro raises his eyes towards the commander's face.

 _Keith is worth this. Keith is worth anything_.

Then Shiro swallows and nods his head.

_'I'll - I'll do it.'_

The commander smirks in triumph, and turns towards the remaining Galra soldiers.

_'You heard him, comrades - let's take them both to the arena. It should be an interesting fight to watch.'_

A huge hand grips Shiro's bound wrists and begins to drag him backwards, down the mountain path, but Shiro is still looking back at the commander.

' _Wait - I said - I said I'd fight - that was the deal -'_

The commander's smile is all teeth, and it doesn't reach his eyes.

_'I said that unless you fought, your companion would pay the consequences. The situation hasn't changed.'_

Shiro's head whirls, and then, he understands.

_The commander had never intended to take Keith out of harm's way._

The Galra are going to make certain Shiro gives them a proper, all-out battle. That means Keith will be in the arena with him - not as an opponent, he's too injured to fight - but as a way to keep Shiro's focus on defeating whatever nightmare they pitted against him.

 _Those_ ** _bastards_**.

Keith is almost out of sight, and at the thought of what they both might face in the hours to come, Shiro can no longer contain his fear.

" _Keith_!"

Shiro tries to wrest free from the soldiers holding him in place, but even as he does, the commander raises his rifle. An instant later, pain flares at the base of his skull, and everything goes black.

* * *

Panic swells inside Shiro's chest as the past and the present both catch up to him. 

_Keith's in danger. Shiro must face whatever's in the arena, or his friend dies._

"-is'll be fun," one of the guards is saying. He's the nearest to Shiro's right side, and he's holding up a pair of manacles. "We never did get to see the end of that last fight -"

Shiro wishes he could keep his muscles from shaking, but he clenches his teeth and keeps his back pressed against the far wall of his cell.

"Wh-which - fight?" He manages to ask. He doesn't take his eyes off of the manacles.

The guard standing in the doorway rolls his eyes theatrically, as if the answer is obvious.

"Which one do _you_ think?" he asks, an unpleasant sneer on his face. "There's only one fight the witch called off ‘cause she wanted you alive, isn't there?"

Shiro's blood goes cold. For a second, he can't breathe.

 _No - please,_ **_please_ ,** _no._

He wants to look brave, but fear has, for the moment, frozen him to the spot.

_Keith's life depends upon the outcome of this match - but Shiro's not sure he can win against -_

In that instant of frozen horror, the guard on his left moves swiftly, twisting Shiro's flesh and blood arm behind his back, using the momentum to slam Shiro face-first against the back wall and keep him there.

* * *

The taste of blood from his split lip cuts through Shiro's fear. 

_The monster tracks its prey by smelling their blood. Keith is badly injured - he might be in the arena right now - and -_

It takes every last ounce of Shiro's will-power to keep his fear from unmaking him right then and there.

Keith needs Shiro to win this fight, and he can't do that if he lets his terror control him.

_He needs a plan. Failing that, options._

_Option One: Take out these guards, find out where Keith is, grab him, and get away._

But these particular guards aren't taking any chances.

* * *

When Shiro tries to shift his balance, hoping to escape the arm-lock, the tip of an energy spear digs into his left shoulder, causing him to bite back an oath and go still again. The wound hurts, but if the current had been on, it would have hurt a lot more. The spear-wielder standing behind him seems to read his mind.

"Don't make me use this in earnest," the guard says, almost dispassionately. "It'd be a real shame not to have much of a fight now, wouldn't it?"

The guard standing in the doorway sniggers. "I wouldn't mind," he says. "I'm betting Champion gets his legs torn off before it eats him. Videre likes to play with his food."

Shiro swallows, trying not to throw up at the vivid image, even as he feels the metal cuffs cycle closed over his wrists. Even after the cuffs are on, the guard keeps him pinned against the wall as the four Galra exchange their views on what will happen in the upcoming fight.

"-'ll bet you at _least_ thirty gak this thing remembers him - you know how that kind can hold a grudge-"

_Bloodstained sand, screams and cheers and a voice that knows his name -_

Shiro closes his eyes and presses his forehead against the stone wall in front of him, trying not to listen, but it's impossible to shut out the voices.

"- maybe they'll kill each other, that's happened before-"

The walls of the cell may be made of stone, but it hasn't been sanded down. Shiro can feel a few more scrapes open up on his face as his muscles begin to shudder in reaction to his terror. In addition, the stationary spear-point bumps and scrapes across his upper back, cutting just deep enough to make him let out a shaky breath of pain.

_I don't want to do this, I don't want to fight, I don't want to die like all the others did -_

Blood's welling up from scrapes now, and his chest aches. It's getting harder to breathe, and he's sweating as if he just trained for two hours against the Gladiator on Level Four. His heart is pounding hard enough where he thinks that it might burst right out of his chest.

"It'll be Champion who kills it, he's the best at killing-"

_No, I'm not a monster, I don't want to kill anyone - I just - I just - want to live -_

"At least this time we'll get to see who _wins_ ," the third soldiers says. When Shiro's eyes flick towards him, the soldier grins unpleasantly and hefts one of those javelin-like energized jolt sticks that the guards use to keep unruly prisoners in line.

The reminder sends a wave of both fear and fury pulsing through the Black Paladin, because he needs to control himself, _damn it_ , he needs to find Keith and get out of here before -

But the guards holding him against the wall seem to sense his thoughts.

* * *

Shiro can tell because the one holding his left arm shoves him harder against the wall, and against his skin, the energy spear lets out a faint crackle as its energies build up. He remembers how much those things hurt, and he tries to remain as still as possible.

"Trying to get away, _Champion_?"

The voice is right by his ear, and Shiro decides it's worth a shot. In his current position, he can't shake his head, but he can at least still talk.

"...no..."

It's barely even a whisper, but it's all he can manage. His muscles still tremble, and he wishes he could keep his voice from shaking.

"Oh?"

The voice by his ear doesn't sound convinced. Shiro's intuition is proved correct when the energy spear hums and sparks in warning, and it's all he can do not to cry out in pain as the energy field activates so close to his skin. Instead, he grinds his teeth together and forces himself to remain still.

"Then what _were_ you doing?"

Shiro has to swallow before speaking again. His throat's gone dry.

"N-nothing."

A sneering laugh from the doorway guard echoes hollowly around the small, dark cell.

"Oh, _what_ a convincing answer. Surely, Champion is the _master_ of decep-"

The guard nearest Shiro's right arm interrupts his comrade with a sharp, disinterested gesture.

"Enough delays," he says. "Garmek, cuff Champion's ankles. We don't want him running off."

* * *

The spear-point digging into Shiro's shoulder changes position, coming to rest directly on the center of his back.

"-wait-"

Shiro hates how weak his voice is, but he tries anyway. He's still short on breath.

" -you don't - need to. I won't - t-try - to run."

The Galra standing behind him - Garmek - outright laughs at that.

" _Sure_ you won't."

As Shiro feels one of the cuffs begin to cycle shut over his right ankle, he feels the panic rise up in him like an ocean wave. His muscles begin to quiver once more, and he closes his eyes, bracing himself against the inevitable pain of the energy spear even as he tries one last time.

"I'm not - lying - I - I can't -"

"Complete a sentence?" One of the guards jeered, and two other voices joined in the laughter, but Shiro only steeled himself and went on.

" - can't let that - that _thing_ \- in the arena - kill my friend - "

The guards don't exactly stop laughing, but a moment of what could possibly be called 'confused silence' descends, and it's in that one second of silence that Shiro finds the clarity he needs to face his worst nightmare _._

_Keith is his friend, and he's in danger._

_That's all the reason Shiro needs to fight, and most of all, it's why he would never run from this battle._

He may not be able to make the guards believe him, but he says it again anyway.

"I won't run. I'll fight. That was the deal."

* * *

In the end, the guards decide it isn't necessary to cuff his ankles together. Instead, the settle for escorting him to the arena. Two of them grip Shiro's arms, the commander walks ahead of them, his stride confident, and finally, the spear-bearer walks behind the four of them. Privately, Shiro thinks this might be overkill, but it's clear the Galra aren't taking any chances.

Then again, maybe during his time as Champion, this sort of caution was necessary.

The anger at being a prisoner once again still burns inside him, but Shiro knows he has to keep a level head if he wants to survive this fight. He can't go in without a plan.

It seems that the leader senses something of Shiro's thoughts, because he turns his head and smirks back at his prisoner.

"You know," he says, musingly, "I think that half-dead friend of yours might be the first one Videre goes for."

For just a second, Shiro tenses his muscles. He wants to strike out at that smirking face looking back at him, but with an immense effort of will, he restrains himself, forcing his anger to _wait_.

_If he was going to get both Keith and himself out of this situation, he needed information - the more, the better._

The commander was smug, but Shiro thought he detected an air of dangerously arrogant confidence around the Galra. The jackass believed he had complete control of the situation.

"The beast hasn't been feed in over a week," the leader continues, his eyes glancing back at Shiro to see if the words have an effect. "And your friend is in no condition to survive a hit now, is he?"

Shiro knows he needs to use this time to gain information, but the leader's words make his blood boil, all the same.

Forcing the anger down yet again, Shiro asks a question.

"So - what's this arena of yours like?"

The Galra commander laughs.

"Nothing like what you're used to, Champion. It's more a pit than an arena. Some call it the Boneyard, but in the end, it's just a feeding ground."

Fury burns white-hot within him, but again, Shiro tells it to _wait_.

_Champion had relied on anger, but with Keith's life in the balance, Shiro needs to use more than raw power to win._

"I meant the terrain. Sand? Rocks? If you want a real fight, you'll need me survive beyond the first twenty seconds."

That bit of impudence earned him a glancing kick to the leg, but he ignored the blow and went on.

"Like I said. If you want this fight to be _anything_ like it was back in the arena, you're going to have to give me a fighting chance."

The Galra solider gripping Shiro's right arm gripped it tighter as the leader answered, his voice harsher, less amused.

" _That's_ your fighting chance, Champion. Don't push your luck. If you do, I'll kill your friend myself."

Finally, the wrath envelops Shiro's sight, and what he does next comes without real thought.

* * *

Mid-stride, he stops walking, and he uses the half-second of the guard's confusion to its full advantage.

He slams the guard holding his left arm into the wall and takes a few fast steps backwards, drawing closer to the guard in the back, forcing the spear-bearer to adjust his stance so he doesn't impale his own allies.

The commander is fumbling for his whip now - _stupid, arrogant idiot_ \- and Shiro makes the most out of those few precious seconds.

The corridor is narrow, which gives him somewhere to kick off of as he slams the guard on his right side into the opposite wall. A buzz of incoming energy sounds behind him. Shiro dodges to one side, and the spear-tip shrieks as sparks fly from the rock. Then he rolls in the opposite direction, bringing his arms underneath his legs in one swift movement so that his hands are in front of him.

Before any of the guards can react, Shiro pivots in place, striking out with his bound fists, and catches the spear-bearer right in the chest. The spear falls from its' owners hand, and Shiro reaches out, catches it in his left hand, and spins the spear-point so that the energized tip cuts neatly through the restraining band on his Galra arm.

With a grim smile, he activates the weapon that long ago had been fused into his flesh, and less than a second later, both his hands are free.

The skin on his left wrist burns strangely, but he doesn't spare it a thought.

_He has to get to the arena. It’s time to fight._

* * *

Something whistles by his head. It annoys him, so he uses the spear to entangle the whip and wrest it away from the commander, who's staring at him along with the other soldiers. They look as if they've seen a ghost.

Champion laughs at them. It's _always_ funny when they realize who they're up against. He adjusts his stance, hefting the spear and calculating the odds of taking two or three enemies out with a single move.

"And to think, _none_ of you brought blasters. I have to say, that's a pretty _stupid_ move."

Distantly, Shiro know that his own voice sounds different that it did before. It's harsher, almost eager for bloodshed. Something about it scratches at the back of his mind, but with a snarl, he ignores it, and instead, he focuses on the commander, whose hand is already reaching for his communicator.

Champion activates the energy spear. A white-hot beam of energy lances out, and the communicator, along with the belt it's on, bursts into flame. The commander yelps in surprise, quickly discarding both the belt and the communicator.

Nearby, the former spear-bearer is attempting to rise to his feet. Champion discourages him by placing one foot on his neck, not hard enough to kill him, but only just.

"You _really_ must be the rejects of the Empire," he sneers. "Now. Let's talk.”

He brings the spear up again, its' energies crackling, and points the tip at the commander.

"You. Tell me the way out of here."

The commander reverts to type.

"You think - you think you can get away with this?! You’ll never -“

Champion chuckles, cutting him off. It's not a pleasant sound.

"If I'd _really_ wanted to kill you," he says, very evenly, "You'd all be dead by now."

He levels the spear at the three still-standing Galra. It begins to hum and glow with energy.

"Now, one of you is going to tell me where my friend is. I'm not going to ask twice."

Underneath his foot, the former spear-bearer lets out a cough. His words are difficult to make out, but their meaning is clear.

"He's already - in the arena - and - your only chance to save him - is - to go there - "

Champion doesn't increase the pressure on the Galra's neck. Part of him wants to, but the larger part wants the information more, so instead, he just glances down at the speaker.

"Well, then. You're going to tell me all about the arena's terrain, and anything else I need to know. _Aren't you_?"

The spear-bearer gulps audibly. Something in the sound encourages the others to answer Champion's questions.

* * *

Within a few minutes, he has all the information he needs.

"Right," he says, nodding, but he's not really seeing the soldiers in front of him.

Part of him wants to kill all four of them, here and now.

_They deserve it, they deserve it a thousand times over, why not just kill them and have done_

But there isn't any time to waste.

_His friend is already in the arena. Videre's going to be let loose in there any minute now - so there's no point in avoiding a fight - especially now that he has a plan to win._

So instead of killing his prisoners, Champion orders them to lead the way to the arena. None of the four look happy about it, but he really doesn't care at this point.

* * *

When they reach the entrance, he can hear the crowd roaring up ahead. 

For a moment, he thinks about forcing the defeated to go in front of him, as a sort of pre-show entertainment. The walls here are pitted and stained with age - who knows how many prisoners have met their end here.

 _Once Videre catches sight of them, the following carnage could buy Shiro time to strategize - to hunt - to win. In every fight, seconds make the difference between life and death, and all he has to do to gain precious time is to send out four of his tormentors to meet a monster_.

Champion begins to smile at that image, but then that _other_ presence shouting in the back of his mind coalesces into form.

_Keith is out there - and Shiro doesn't know precisely where he is in the arena. Unless Shiro uses strategy, Keith could get killed within seconds of the fight beginning, and that is unacceptable. Completely unacceptable._

Champion's voice gets louder for a second.

_Kill the soldiers, here and now, use the blood, it'll distract Videre long enough for you to strike -_

But Shiro knows he has no time to waste, and anyway - he remembers.

_He remembers that first time, being brought to the arena as nothing more than cannon fodder, and using the memories of that fight with Myzax to defeat the witch's Robobeast._

And…there…there had been a village. Voltron had protected its people.

_He’s a defender of the universe - and he’s not alone anymore._

_Keith is a defender too - and he needs Shiro's help, right now._

But Champion was born out of instinct, fear, and rage, and its voice rises into a consuming fury that demands blood, now, and to hell with the consequences _._

 _It's what they deserve, they've killed hundreds of prisoners this way - kill them,_ **_now_ ** _\- use them to save your comrade -_

With an effort, Shiro harnesses his rage.

He'll use it, and _soon_ , to save his friend.

But before _that_ , he's going to install a healthy fear into these four Galra soldiers.

He may not have control of this entire situation, but he can damn well install the fear of God into these four idiots just before he goes into the arena. It never hurts to inspire some well-deserved fear into the enemy - and who knows - it might make all the difference later on.

* * *

Shiro slams the end of the spear against the tunnel's floor, and purple light sparks out from both the spear's tip and his own Galra prosthetic hand.

"First," he says, and he's relieved to hear that his voice sounds almost normal again, "you will make it clear to _every_ Galra in those seats that no one is to touch my friend. He remains where he is until I win the match."

One of the guards opens his mouth as if to argue, and then closes it again.

Shiro goes on. "Second, I'm going to keep this." He taps the spear-hilt. "Given Videre's skill, I'd say this brings us close to even."

None of the guards seem eager to know what the third point is, but Shiro doesn't waste any time.

"Third, I want all four of you to remember this day, because it's when you fought Champion and lived to regret it. That makes you the first to do so."

He bares his teeth at the four of them in an expression that promises legendary violence in the very near future to _anyone_ standing in his way.

“Now, _run_."

They do.


	8. Chapter 8

Keith tries to learn as much as he can from what he can hear. His eyesight’s still not back to what it should be, but at least he can make out the difference between light and shadows.

From the sounds around him, he’s fairly certain there’s going to be a fight of some kind any minute now. That doesn’t bode well for him, especially since the soldiers around him are taking bets on how long he’ll survive it, and not _one_ of them have bet that Keith will survive longer than five dobashes.

* * *

Only moments later, one of the Galra grips Keith by an arm and drags him over to what looks like some kind of gigantic cage.

For a horrible instant, Keith thinks the soldier is going to throw him in there, but the Galra only adjusts the cuffs that bind Keith's wrists behind him before shoving the Red Paladin backwards against a cold, hard surface.

“Don’t even _try_ to run,” the Galra snarls. “It likes to hunt down the ones that run.”

Keith’s injuries are screaming in protest, but he manages a harsh nod. It’s difficult to breathe now, let alone speak.

The guard grunts and shoves Keith away from him as he turns to go. The Red Paladin feels his back hit something that seems like a solid stone pillar, and it hurts enough where he loses track of what’s going on for a few minutes.

* * *

When Keith is able to take stock of his surroundings again, he’s on his knees, with his arms forced out behind him. His wrists ache - the cuffs around them are the only reason he didn’t fall over when he lost consciousness.  

He thinks about raising his head, but he's so _tired_. It takes him another moment to realize that when the guard re-adjusted the cuffs, he'd also linked them to the pillar at Keith's back.

Voices Keith doesn’t recognize are all around him, chanting a name he doesn’t know.

_Did he - did he black out or something?_

He tries to stand up, but the pain is too much.

 _Damn it, he wishes he could_ **_see._**

Instinct tells him that whatever is behind him is something bad. It has to be, since a single bar of its cage is taller and thicker than most stone pillars.

* * *

Just then, a sentry’s metallic hand grips hold of his injured shoulder and shoves him gracelessly to one side, so that Keith overbalances and falls back against the cage again.

He barely manages to stifle a cry of pain, but the impact has re-opened the wound on his shoulder, and the burns on his chest and arms are swiftly becoming agony. It’s all he can do to keep his breathing even.

There isn’t much space between the bars, but Keith is a lot smaller than a Galra, and he realizes, an instant too late, that the sentry means to push him between the bars and into the cage. He tries to sit up, but the mechanical hand grips hold of Keith’s shoulder once again and shoves him further between the bars, and Keith only has time to brace himself for the fall before -

Before his wrists take his weight again, and he realizes that this isn’t a cage - at least, not the kind of cage he thought it was.

He can sense a huge space out in front of him, but he has _no_ idea how far down it goes. But it’s definitely a pit of some kind, and he’s leaning out over it like -

 _\- bait_ -

Keith immediately tries to lean backwards, away from the awful arena in front of him, because this is bad, this is bad, this is **bad -**

_Something with claws could reach up and slice his jugular vein, or it might scuttle up and impale him through the chest -_

He’s not exactly certain how, but a few frantic minutes later, he’s clutching onto the bars behind him for dear life, his blistered, bleeding fingers throbbing and aching with the effort of the strain. 

_It hurts, and it’s going to keep hurting, but he has to stay as far away as he can from whatever’s down in that pit._

He tries to tell himself that the fact the Galra handcuffed him up here, on the edge, means that they don’t want him to fall down into the pit.

_At least, not yet._

* * *

Keith feels sick, scared, and dizzy, and it’s hard to get enough air. The cuffs bite into his skin, causing his wrists to start bleeding again.

More laughter from the crowd all around him - Keith tells himself that he would glare at them if he could tell where they ended and the sky began - but he’s too exhausted and afraid to do anything except stay as far away from the edge of the pit as possible. He listens, but the sentry doesn’t move away from cage, so it’s clear the Galra intend Keith to stay on this side of the bars.

It hurts to stay awake, but if he loses his grip on the bars behind him, he could die.

So for what seems an eternity, Keith keeps his eyes closed and tries to stay as still and as silent as a statue, even though it feels as if his body is on _fire_ , even though the very act of staying still is almost impossible.

 _His skin is cracked, broken and bleeding, and it_ **_hurts_.** _He just wants to fall unconscious again._

* * *

After what seems an endless amount of time, his muscles are shaking with fatigue. He has to strain for air, and he can’t even move for fear of losing his balance.

 _Don’t show how much it hurts,_ he told himself. _Don’t show it, don’t show it, don’t don’t_ ** _don’t_** _-_

He grits his teeth, forcing himself to try and focus on his surroundings, to distract himself from the awful pain. But after a time, it becomes too much, and he can’t hold back a short, harsh cough that tastes like copper.

_…blood…it…it’s…blood…_

The cough leads to another, and then another, and before he knows what’s happening, his world shrinks until there is nothing but the pain. It pounds along his arms, down his chest, and he can’t do anything to stop it.

The Galra Empire has trained the spotlight directly onto him, and he _hates_ it.

He hates it, he _hates_ it, he doesn’t want to die like this, as a spectacle for his enemies, as a warning to his friends.

_He has to stay awake, he has….to stay focused…_

But he’s not sure he can do this alone.

Then, from somewhere nearby, a voice calls to him.

* * *

'So this is the Red Paladin. You _do_ seem much the worse for wear.'

Something about the voice makes the skin on Keith's neck - or whatever's left of it - go cold. He shivers as the voice continues.

'Then again, it seems to be in keeping with history. Didn't the last one die alone, too?'

Keith decides that it won't do any good to answer - which is convenient for him, as even the thought of speech makes him feel sick. His lungs ache, his throat is dry as a bone, and more than anything, he just wants to know that Shiro's okay, and out of danger.

'Not much of a talker, are you? Mmm, _such_ a pity.'

It's as if the speaker enjoys making conversation despite any circumstances. Through the haze of pain, Keith thinks about how Lance can talk his way through anything, but - but Lance is so _different_ than whoever - or whatever - is speaking now.

'I so rarely get to have a proper conversation with anyone in here - what with all the screaming, and running, and - well. _Dying_.' 

The speaker laughs, and the sound is _hideous_. It's anticipation, and greed, and cruel mirth combined in equal measure, and Keith shudders and presses himself closer to the bars behind him.

'Don't think I can't see you, little Paladin. I'll reach you, soon enough."

Down below in the arena, something clinks and clatters to Keith's right. Fear pounds through him, and he tries to hunch down, taking up as little space as possible.

Then something happens.

* * *

Keith hears footsteps coming closer. Someone runs into the arena, and for a second, he doesn't know if it's a friend or a foe.

 _Who in their right mind_ _would take on a nightmare like this?_

"Hey! UGLY!"

Oh.

 _Of course_ **_he_ ** _would._


	9. Chapter 9

Even as Shiro charges into the arena, he feels the weight of the monster's gaze turn away from Keith and towards himself.

'Well, strike me blind - it really is you, little Champion.'

One of Videre's arachnid-like front legs stretches out again, up towards Keith. This time, the sickle-shaped blade of bone swipes within arm's reach of him, causing a breath of wind strong enough to move the Red Paladin's hair away from his face.

It would have been a fatal blow if it weren't for the fact that Videre's back legs are chained to a ring at the bottom of the pit. Otherwise, he easily could have struck Keith dead several times by now.

'Hmm,' Videre muses. 'He does look unwell, doesn't he? Hardly worth killing, to be honest.'

Keith doesn't say anything in reply. He only shrinks away from the voice, his breathing unsteady, sightless eyes wide and scared as he tries, and fails, to see where the next threat might come from.

For just a second, fury threatens to blind Shiro once again, but instead of reacting, he keeps his face impassive. His plan depends on keeping the monster's attention on him, and above all else, drawing it away from Keith.

Videre is cruel and sadistic, and if Shiro shows any concern for his friend, the monster will make sure to maim or kill the Red Paladin - out of bored spite if nothing else.

* * *

It's strange, somehow, but instead of crippling fear, now all that Shiro can feel is wrath.

Wrath at how this monster enjoys torturing and killing people for no reason at all, wrath at how the Galra soldiers in the stands are shouting for blood and death, and most of all, wrath at how much pain his friend is in, and for no other reason than it makes the fight ‘more interesting’.

 _This time, he's going to make sure this jackass dies. It won't be immediately - he has to get Keith to safety first - but Shiro's certainly not going to leave Videre alive._

* * *

The Black Paladin moves to one side, never taking his eyes off of Videre's face. The monster is as nightmarish as he remembers. 

If a scorpion could scuttle as quickly and as easily as a spider, and if its multiple legs were as curved and as deadly as scimitars, it might look something like this thing. And, of course it was both malicious and clever. The chain may, for the moment, limit Videre’s movements, but it doesn’t make him any less dangerous.

'Do you _really_ think you can beat me, Champion? We both know what happened the last time you tried. Haggar took you away, didn't she? It was the only thing that saved you."

The words are meant as a double-edged sword, to demoralize both Paladins, but it has an unexpected result.

Shiro brings the energy spear up in front of him, and he bares his teeth in what Videre might consider a snarl.

"Things are different now. I'm not afraid of you."

But the monster only throws back its head and laughs.

"Oh, this is _priceless_ ," he says, and his muscular, segmented body changes position so that now, he faces Shiro instead of Keith. "The fearless, mighty _Champion_ \- but I remember your screams when Haggar took you away. Now, you're nothing more than a failed experiment."

Clawed legs stretch out, and Videre's voice changes, becoming harsher, almost eager as he prepares to strike.

"A failed experiment that I _finally_ get to finish off."

* * *

Shiro tried not to listen to the words, because this was what Videre did, he used words to distract you, right before -

The rush comes less than a heartbeat later. Shiro throws himself to one side even as three sickle-shaped legs slam into the sand where his throat, chest, and stomach had been only a few ticks ago.

Videre attempts to bring even more blades into play, but Shiro deflects them with the point of the energy spear. It's difficult to keep out of Videre's reach, but not impossible. However, the monster's words are much more insidious.

"You screamed for _days,_ Champion. I heard you, and now, I can't _wait_ to taste your fear."

Shiro knows that Videre is playing mind games, but all the same, shadows scratch and claw at Shiro's mind - bad memories, awful memories - but with an effort of will, he focuses on the enemy in front of him.

_Keith's life depends on Shiro winning this fight, and soon._

Even as Videre strikes once again, Shiro raises the energy spear and unleashes its full charge directly into the segmented body above him. Purple light flashed and shrieks around them both, and the monster recoils, hissing in furious frustration.

"I'll take your _leg_ for that, Champion," he spits. Even as he speaks, he lunges forwards yet again.

_Good. He's getting angry. Time to use this jackass's own tactics against him._

Shiro dodges to one side, evading the attack. As he somersaults to avoid the following whirl of blades, he activates his Galra hand, slicing down at the chain holding Videre's rear legs in place.

It's not exactly a precise strike - he doesn't have time for something fancy - but it's a start. Part of the chain links holding Videre in place are weakened. One more lunge against them, and he'll break free for sure.

_Now to get him really riled up._

* * *

As he regains his feet, Shiro manages to smirk back up at Videre. He's gasping for air, but he manages to speak, all the same. 

"Well - if you - ever - manage that - do me a favor," he says. "Make it - my left one."

Videre's slitted eyes narrow in what might be taken as annoyed curiosity. "And why would you request that, Champion?"

Shiro's crouching now, holding the spear up at an angle. He raises his voice, just in case Keith is listening.

" - because - then I can - tell people - back home - that I'm - I'm cosplaying as Edward Elric - if they ask - about my arm -"

From the corner of his eye, Shiro sees an incredulous smirk pass over Keith's face, and the Black Paladin can't refrain from smiling, just for a second.

_It's always good when a friend understands you're talking about - especially if it's a code._

Videre clearly has _no_ idea what Shiro's talking about, but the monster can tell it's a taunt of some kind. The segmented body rears upright, the scythe-like legs whirling in fury, and he roars in rage, a coiling mass of muscle, fury, and blood-lust.

Which is precisely the moment that Shiro's been waiting for all this time.

* * *

He turns in place, aims the spear at the bars of the cage, and unleashes the full power of both the spear and his Galra prosthetic. This time, he’s not sending out a burst of diffused electrical energy, like he used it on Videre before. Shiro won't risk striking Keith with a charge of this magnitude.

 _This_ time, Shiro focuses the energy into a blade that cuts straight through the bars, creating an opening large enough for a hungry, enraged monster to climb through.

It's a risky move, but if Videre _really_ hasn't been fed in a week, he won't hesitate to go for the easier prey once his chain breaks. Shiro's counting on the monster's vindictiveness here, as well as the element of surprise.

It pays off.

* * *

The soldiers on that side of the arena don't realize what is happening until it's much too late.

One moment, they're watching a fight to the death, taking bets on which opponent will die first. The next, a shrieking bolt of what seems to be white-hot lightning blinds them, and before they can recover, something huge and hungry is upon them.

* * *

Shiro doesn't watch what follows next. Instead, he races over to the other side of the pit, where Keith is still hand-cuffed to the cage. 

It only takes Shiro a few moments to reach his friend. Even though the Galra took away his armor, he's able to use both the spear and his Galra hand to make hand-holds, and then foot-holds in the side of the arena.

It takes even less time to cut through Keith's restraints, and the one iron bar is no match for the Black Paladin's glowing arm. It seems more powerful than ever before - almost like an ion cannon.

Even as Videre turns his attention to the second wave of fleeing Galra soldiers, the two Paladins of Voltron disappear back into the tunnels of the base.

It's not the fastest way out, but it is the only way that isn't immediately visible to Videre, and that makes it the only viable option.

Shiro just hopes they can get a head start before Videre starts to follow them.


	10. Chapter 10

It's difficult to tell where they're going, as his sight hasn't clearly returned yet, but Keith is fairly certain it's a good idea to _get away_ from the screaming, shouting, and gunfire of the arena that erupted all about him only moments ago.

_Even as the wave of noise struck him, Keith waited, because if Shiro had the presence of mind to make an anime reference during a fight with a monster from a nightmare, it meant he had a plan, and that meant Keith didn't need to worry._

At first, when Keith hears movement down in the pit beneath him, he braces himself for another blood-curdling, one-sided conversation with the monster, but soon enough, he recognizes that it’s Shiro.

"Keith, listen - I'm going to cut you free, and then I'm going to slice the bars in half."

Keith can only nod in answer. The pain is stealing away his awareness, but he trusts his friend.

A hum, a whir, a click of cuffs falling to the ground. Keith begins to loose his balance, but an arm reaches out, catches him, and pulls him in close.

"I've got you, Keith. Just hang on.”

Soon after, they made it into the cool, dark maze of the tunnels underground.

* * *

They need to get as far away from Videre as fast as possible, but Keith is in no condition to walk any longer, even with Shiro's help. 

He'd managed to limp for a bit, with Shiro taking most of his weight, but now he's so dizzy, he has to close his eyes. It’s difficult to get enough air, and he can't support his own weight any longer, let alone keep his balance.

_At least he can tell that they're in some kind of tunnel. That's...sort of useful..._

At his side, Shiro is saying something.

Keith guesses it's something about getting the hell out of here, asap. So he nods, because yeah, it's definitely a good idea to get away from the bloodbath outside, even though it means no one is chasing after them right now.

Shiro mutters an apology, and for a second, Keith isn't sure why, because Shiro just saved his life back there - if anyone should be apologizing, it should be Keith, because it's his fault they got captured in the first place -

Then Shiro picks him up, and the pain in Keith's injured shoulder and leg becomes almost unbearable. As the Black Paladin begins to run, the pain swiftly progresses to agony. It's all Keith can do to keep from screaming.

_It hurts - hurts - hurts -_

The embedded spikes feel as if they're splintering into pieces inside his muscles, and the open burns along his chest and arms aren't helping matters either. He can't remember the last time he hurt this much, or felt so helpless. Overall, the pain is excruciating, and there's _nothing_ he can do to make it stop hurting.

Shiro's telling him it'll be okay, but even though Keith wants to listen, he can't. So instead, he tries to focus on Red, to see how far away the others are, because at this rate, it's only a matter of time before Videre starts coming after them. But the pain makes it easy for his mind to wander, and soon, he's trying to figure out how much time they have before Videre finds them.

 _How did Videre track his prey? Was it sound?_

No, that couldn't be the only way. Back in the arena, before Shiro came in, Keith hadn't said anything, but the monster still knew he was there.

_Was it sight?_

Keith couldn't be sure. For all he knew, the monster might have extraordinarily acute senses.

... _wait_... _back when he'd been cuffed to the bars...he'd coughed up...blood...and.._. _then_...

* * *

The first time Keith tries to speak, his voice is too weak to be heard. Even as he makes the attempt, something clatters into a tunnel far behind them, and Shiro begins to run even faster. 

Keith knows that there's no time, so he forces himself to be heard.

"Shiro - it's tracking - me - it's - "

Shiro doesn't even slow down as he answers, his words harsh and clipped.

"I know. Doesn't matter. We're both - getting - out of here."

* * *

The distant sounds haven't stopped, and the image of that _thing_ catching up to them underground is enough to make the Red Paladin shudder. Fear and pain are making it much harder for him to find the words, but even so, he tries.

" - Shiro - it's - it's okay - I -"

He can't tell if the sounds behind them are getting louder, but just for an instant, Shiro's answer drowns them out.

" **No** , Keith. I'm not leaving you behind."

With an effort, Keith tries again. For some strange reason, his throat is tight.

" - but - "

Shiro doesn't stop running, or even slow down. His final answer is more an obstinate growl than anything else.

" _No_."

If he wasn’t so dehydrated, Keith might have teared up. Instead, all he can do is close his eyes and hope that the Lions are close enough to their location to make a difference when the nightmare catches up to them.


	11. Chapter 11

Shiro keeps running, even though the sounds behind them get louder and louder with each passing minute.

Skittering, eager impacts on stone - _blades made out of bone_ \- echo throughout the tunnels, making it impossible to know precisely where the sounds are coming from.

When they reach an intersection, Shiro picks the path leading upwards without a second's hesitation.

If he can get to the planet's surface, maybe it'll be enough so that Allura can lock onto their location. Neither he nor Keith have their helmets anymore, but maybe she'll sense their quintessence in time to -

A low laugh sounds from the tunnel right behind him.

"Did you _really_ think you could run from me, little Champion?"

Shiro's blood runs cold, but he doesn't stop or turn around.

 _Almost there, we're almost there_ -

"I suppose I should thank you for my freedom," the voice continues. "But then, that's not really why I followed you."

Down below, where the tunnel begins to curve upwards, shadows surge around the passage, and time seems to slow down.

Shiro knows that Videre is right behind them, and he knows that unless he does something, right here, right now, this tunnel will become their tomb.

* * *

Just as Videre turns the corner, Shiro asks his friend a question.

"Do you trust me?"

In answer, Keith's left hand tightens its grip on Shiro's flesh and blood arm.

It's not exactly a moment out of Shakespeare, but it's enough to make the Black Paladin truly smile, even if it's just for a second.

"Wait here," he says, and he puts Keith down on the cave floor as quickly but as gently as he can, given that milliseconds matter now.

Even as he turns back to face Videre, Shiro activates his Galra hand and takes three running steps back down the tunnel.

* * *

Now the monster's rushing face is barely a foot from Shiro's own, the skin pale and ghost-like, the jagged teeth open in a travesty of a smile. Its beady eyes fix upon his own as it reaches blood-stained claws out towards him.

" _Hello_ , little Champion," Videre purrs. It's a hideous sound, half-laugh, half-gurgling chuckle. It reeks of blood and decay.

But instead of flinching away, Shiro bares his own teeth back at the nightmare in similar fashion.

"Hey there, _Koh_ ," he says, and slices his white-hot metal fingers across the black, soulless eyes, blinding the abomination with the first half of the strike. Then he spreads his white-hot fingers wide and strikes once more, scoring four long black marks across the creature's nose.

Even as Videre rears back, shrieking in agony, Shiro flings himself backwards, out of the reach of the crimson-stained claws that flail blindly in the half-dark.

" ** _Champion_**!"

Videre's speech is mangled, but whether through rage or injury, Shiro can't tell. In this moment, he does not care in the slightest. He only turns, takes a few silent steps back to where his friend is lying, and leans over to pick him up again.

Even as he does so, the tip of one claw misses his forelock by less than an inch. Videre's blind flailing, though less focused, could still prove deadly unless they get out of this enclosed space.

Ideally, Shiro would have waited for his weaponized arm to cool off, but there's no time to waste, and Keith's in no condition to move under his own power.

Shiro doesn't allow himself to think about what needs to be done. Instead, he just does it.

He uses his left arm to support most of Keith's weight, and does his best to keep his still-gleaming right fist from coming into contact with Keith's battered and dented armor as he lifts him up and begins to run again. Even so, the heat radiating from it causes his friend to stiffen and swallow back a moan of pain. 

Shiro only runs even faster, racing out of the tunnel and into the glaring light of the surface, intent on getting to higher ground.

He's taken away two of the monster's primary tracking senses. Now all they have to do is keep quiet and pray their Lions find them before Videre does.


	12. Chapter 12

Keith knows when they've reached the planet's surface because Shiro's pace falters.

_But, that only makes sense if one tick you're running on stone, and then the next, you're trying to keep your footing on sand._

Something about the word _sand_ strikes Keith as ominous, but he can't remember why.

_Something to do with...danger...?_

Shiro's sprinting again, and even Keith wants to ask, he's pretty sure Shiro knows what he's doing, so instead, he just stays quiet.

 _There's too much noise, anyway_.

Behind them, the monster's shrieks of agony sound like a thousand nails scraping across some gigantic chalkboard.

_Oh, right…that thing’s still coming after us…that’s…great…_

Then something strikes his bad leg hard enough to make Keith open his eyes again and hiss in discomfort. To his great surprise, he finds that his sight has improved to the point where he can make out vague shapes.

A purple and black one - Shiro, probably - is currently pulling him up onto a vast pile of black and grey shapes - rocks, most likely.

 _Makes...sense...getting away from that monster is...a really good idea.._.

Keith’s train of thought is confirmed when a distorted, swirling swarm of shadows comes roaring out of the tunnels behind them, and Shiro redoubles his efforts to get them to higher ground.

Even before the blurry, shrieking figure starts to rip apart anything within reach, promising death and vengeance all the while, Keith decides it's definitely worth avoiding.

 _Wow….that is one…_ ** _ugly_ ** _son of a bitch._

* * *

When grey shapes begin flying everywhere and landing with loud crashes nearby, Keith thinks about moving, or at least trying to help Shiro in getting them both to higher ground, but all of his muscles feel as if they are on fire, and it's getting difficult to keep track of which injury hurts the most.

That particular question is answered for him when Shiro hauls him further up onto the stones, away from what Keith belatedly realizes are huge chunks of rock falling from the sky. One of the larger fragments glances off his right arm, and it's as if someone shoved a thousand tiny needles into that side of his body.

 _Shit - shit - shit - it hurts -_

Keith slams his eyes tight shut and tries not to make any noise, because that's how the monsters find you, but then Shiro's there, easing Keith's arm free of the rock, as quietly as possible. Veins of stabbing pain still blaze across his shoulder, but at least he's not half-paralyzed with pain now.

_Down below, the monster's laughing - why is it laughing -_

Beside him, Shiro goes as still as a stone. He's listening.

" - you can't hide forever, Champion - and when I find you, I'll make sure I eat your friend first -"

Keith tries to hide his head under one arm, to shut out the voice, but he can't.

" - since now, thanks to you, I have a taste for Galra blood - "

Shiro's shaking with anger next to him, but neither of them make a sound.

"It's just a matter of time until I finish you off, little half-breed."

Just then, one of the larger rocks smashes into pieces near them.

* * *

Even though he knows they have to keep silent, Keith can't help but react when several sharp shards of rock embed themselves in his side. He opens his mouth to cry out, but even as he does, a hand clamps over the lower half of his face, stifling the sound as the monster's voice continues to purr. It sounds like it's circling the rocks, far down below.

"I think I'll take your eyes first, Galra. Your friend was very cruel, after all. It's only fitting I prolong the cycle, don't you think?"

Keith slams his eyes shut and tries to ignore the voice, but it gets harder and harder to keep quiet. Small as they are, the rock fragments embedded in his side ache, and the sluggish bleeding's not helping either -

 _Oh, shit. The monster uses fresh blood to track his prey_.

Then heat blooms over the bleeding cuts, and it swiftly becomes a searing pain that wipes out awareness of anything else.

Despite the danger, Keith still tries to scream, or at least get away from the pain, but Shiro's grip doesn't slacken.

Finally, the heat dies away, but still the now-cauterized injuries ache and burn. It hurts badly enough to make Keith want to cry.

 _But he hates crying, he_ **_hates_ ** _it, because it never changes anything, and now - Shiro will think he's weak - damn it -_

Even now, the tears are beginning to fall, and even though Keith manages to swallow back a whimper, he knows that anyone near him can still see that he's in pain. For some reason, that knowledge makes him feel sick with shame, and he wishes he could turn his head away.

His awareness fades, blurs and finally merges into something resembling a restless daze. The pain is still there, but it's at least it's muted now.

From somewhere far away, someone's calling his name, but Keith can't tell whose voice it is.

No...not calling.

... _it's_... _roaring_...


	13. Chapter 13

Although it only takes Shiro a few seconds to cauterize his friend's injuries, it feels like an eternity. Even after it's over, he has to keep his friend quiet, and eventually, Keith stops fighting and just lies there, motionless and silent.

Shiro swallows back his useless apologies, because until help comes, silence is the only way they're going to survive. He wishes he could have found another way to keep Videre from finding them, but there hadn't been any _time_.

The Black Paladin turns his gaze down to where the blinded monster is still slicing rocks into shards, and he promises himself that once the Castle gets here, he's going to tell Allura to point every single cannon at that monster, and turn it into _ash._

A familiar voice echoes in his mind.

_My Paladin! I am coming!_

Shiro sits straight up, looking up towards the sky. All of a sudden, his heart is _pounding_ inside his chest.

_..Black...?_

The answering roar is all the answer Shiro needs. It's as if his Lion senses his murderous intent towards Videre, and is eager to offer any aid she can.

_Shall I end the beast for you, my Paladin?_

Shiro doesn't hesitate in answering her.

 ** _Yes_**.

* * *

All told, the blinded, enraged monster had perhaps ten seconds to realize something much, _much_ more deadly had fixed its eyes upon him. Videre had just enough time to attempt avoiding his fate.

He scuttled first to one side, and then the other, but in the end, it did him no good whatsoever.

Even as he began to dive beneath the sand, the Black Lion of Voltron grabbed hold of him in her jaws and shook him vigorously from side to side. Then, she dropped the still-twitching thing onto a rock and crushed it beneath one giant paw. She waited only a moment before grinding her paw down harder, turning both the rock and the remains into powder, a low growl emitting like thunder from her throat as she did so. Her meaning was crystal clear.

 _You threatened_ **_My Paladin_ ,** _and now, you are dust._

Even as the Black Lion turns back towards Shiro, something bright catches his attention, and he turns his head just in time to see a new threat. A few Galra sentries have emerged from the tunnel. Although aren’t many of them, they pose a distinct threat because they have -

Oh, hell.

* * *

Knowing what's coming next, Shiro uses his own body as a shield without hesitation, throwing himself between danger and Keith.

Even as the blaster fire hisses and soars through the air, he can't help but feel distinctly annoyed.

"Oh, sure, _now_ they use blasters," Shiro mutters, just before the bolts of condensed energy begin peppering the ground around them.

He hears the Black Lion roar, and senses her charging forwards, intent on crushing the new threat to her Paladin.

**_My Paladin - fear not - I shall crush them!_ **

But in the few seconds it takes her to reach them, the sentries get off several shots each.

Something tugs at Shiro's left leg near his knee even as his right shoulder erupts into agony, but he still refuses to move. If he moves, Keith won't be protected.

_So what if Shiro spends some time in a healing pod?_

With help on its way, Keith is _almost_ safe. Shiro just has to hold on for a short while longer, and then they'll be back in the Castle, and it will all be fine.

* * *

Even before the final Galra sentry breaks into pieces underneath her paw, the Black Lion turns and lets out another roar.

Sensing the danger is gone, Shiro raises his head and sees that Green and Yellow are coming in to land right behind Black. He's glad, because he knows that he can't get Keith back to the Castle without help. Now that the fight is over, he barely has the strength to sit upright.

He looks down to see that one of Keith's eyes is open.

"...Shiro...?"

The adrenaline must be starting to wear off, because it takes Shiro a few seconds to answer.

"Hey, Keith."

The Red Paladin's voice is barely audible.

"...you...you okay...?"

Shiro smiles.

"Yeah, 'm fine."

“…but…you’re...bleeding…"

Shiro blinks and glances down. Keith is correct. The lower half of Shiro's left leg is stained crimson, as is his right shoulder.

"Oh. Yeah. Guess I am. But it’s not so bad.”

At that, Keith closes his eye again, letting out a sigh as he does so. At first, Shiro can't tell if it's out of exhaustion or resignation, but the mumbled " 'r an _idiot_ , Takashi," makes it clear.

Even though Shiro knows Keith can't see it, he rolls his eyes in something like fond exasperation as he answers his friend. "I am _not_. I’m just - a magnet for trouble…or something."

When Keith doesn't respond, the silences sends a spike of fear through Shiro's chest, and for a moment, he can't see what else is going on around him, even though Hunk and Pidge have just landed their own Lions on the rocks nearby.

" _Keith_?"

Still no answer.

* * *

Then Hunk and Pidge are beside him, and Hunk is saying something about needing to get Shiro back to the Castle _right now_.

Shiro doesn't let go of Keith.

"No, not without him -"

But Pidge is opening up a med kit filled with bandages and ointments and other first aid things, and telling Shiro that she and Lance will bring Keith back soon, right after they apply some Altean medicine to the burn wounds.

"This'll help the pods heal him quicker," she said. "But you're losing a lot of blood - and Coran says it'll take at least a few dobashes for the Lions to reach the Castle. You need to go, _now_."

Shiro glowers at them and tries to stand up, to prove to them all that he's _fine_ , but his left leg buckles, and he almost falls over. Hunk manages to catch him before that happens, and then the Yellow Paladin just picks Shiro up like he weighs nothing and begins walking towards the Yellow Lion.

“Lance is going to help Pidge with Keith. But _I’m_ taking _you_ back _right now_.”

Shiro knows he can’t really make Hunk stop carrying him, but he tries arguing. “It’s just some ricochets - I’ll be -”

“- in a pod within the varga,” Hunk says. “Any way you look at it, you’ve been _shot_ , Shiro.”

“I’ve suffered much worse injuries and been just fine afterwards,” Shiro says without thinking. But Hunk doesn’t even slow down, although his steps do falter for a moment in startled dismay at the thought of Shiro's past injuries and the lack of sufficient medical care.

“Well,  _Superman_ , I am _still_ taking you to a pod.”

It’s clear that the Yellow Paladin is not going to budge on this. Now that the adrenaline’s wearing off, Shiro finds that he’s too tired to argue much.

“If our places were switched,” Hunk goes on, more quietly, “You’d get me to a pod, wouldn't you?”

Shiro blinks up at him. “Well - _yes,_ of _course_ I would. I wouldn't want your injuries to...oh...”

Hunk doesn’t exactly smirk, but his smile widens. “Ah-ha. He _gets_ it.”

The Black Paladin mutters, but doesn’t actually respond. Hunk just nods amiably, as if Shiro is agreeing with him.

“Yes, yes, Shiro. I agree. After a battle, the injured need healing. You are injured. Hence, _me_ taking _you_ to the pod. I rest my case.”

A rumble from the Black Lion indicates smug agreement with Hunk. Shiro decides arguing won’t get him anywhere.

“…’m gonna make you…run… a lot… in training…for that…” 

It must not have come across as threatening as Shiro had meant it, because Hunk just nods. “Yeah, sure, okay. _After_  you heal up in the pod.”

The Black Lion must agree with this plan of action, because she makes no move to intercept Hunk as another distant, yet distinct roaring catches their attention. Shiro looks up just in time to see Red and Blue soaring side by side overhead, coming to land beside the Black Lion.

Shiro's fairly certain that those two came from the direction of the now-empty Galra base, and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees that Red's jaws are glowing white-hot from recent fire-blasting, and Blue's paws are somewhat scratched and burned, as if she happily aided in throughly destroying the Galra base that had once housed the soldiers who injured her sister's Paladin so badly.

Despite his exhaustion, Shiro thinks that it is a very good thing, having all the Lions on their side.

Inside his mind, the Black Lion purrs in agreement.

_I will protect them, my Paladin. Rest now. I will see you again soon._

Some of the tension leaves his shoulders, and Shiro finally allows his eyes to slide shut.

_...okay..._

Even before Hunk reaches the Yellow Lion, the Black Paladin falls into a dreamless sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Awareness returns to Keith only in stages.

Hearing comes back first. People are talking nearby, and they don't sound like they want to hurt him.

_But then, he's been wrong before._

Sight is next, and Keith almost cries with relief when he opens his eyes and sees that Pidge is the one who's closest to him, as she's one of the only people who can convince Shiro to rest and get medical attention after a fight.

_If Pidge is here, and Shiro isn't, it means that Shiro is getting the help he needs._

The Green Paladin is wrapping some kind of bandage around Keith's left arm, and she's talking like she always does when she's intent on fixing something.

"-going to need a pod for sure-"

Keith's head aches, so he closes his eyes again. Then he hears another voice, from somewhere near his feet.

_Lance?_

"- but Pidge - burns are tricky - we need to check with Coran before assuming -"

Pidge's voice changes slightly, and Keith can just imagine her turning her head to glare daggers at Lance. All the while, she's still wrapping the bandages around his arm.

"I _know_ , Lance, I'm not _stupid_ \- can you just - "

But Lance must have held his hands up in surrender or something, because instead of continuing, Katie seems to swallow back her anger and focuses on the task before her.

Keith doesn't want them to fight. He tries to tell them so, but when he slits one eye open again, neither Pidge or Lance notice.

" 'm sorry," Pidge mutters, a few seconds later. "I just - I've never seen burns this bad before - and - and I'm scared."

When Lance answers, his voice is softer, more encouraging. " 'S okay, Katie. We're all worried - but they're both going be okay."

Keith's head begins pounding, and he has to close his eye again.

_In all honesty, he’s not sure that Lance is right._

* * *

Pidge has reached Keith's palm and fingers now, and when Lance offers to help, she accepts.

"Okay," Pidge says. "Just support his arm so I can apply the ointment, and then I'll wrap his wrist and fingers. Then we'll do the other one."

Keith feels his muscles tense, because he doesn't like when too many people touch him at once.

_It's too easy to remember bad things that way._

But Lance's hands are steady and careful, just like his voice, as they take hold of Keith's upper and lower forearm. "Like this?"

Pidge hums in agreement. "I think that'll work.”

* * *

Keith is scared of the imminent pain, but he doesn't want to fight against his friends.

 _They're just trying to help_ , he tells himself. _Don't distract them. They're busy. Let them do their work._

But although he tries, he can't keep his arm from shaking a little when he feels Pidge's fingers brush against the inside of his wrist. There's a gash there, small but deep, and he's not sure if she's going to make it hurt more or not -

One of them must have noticed something's wrong, because Pidge doesn't immediately apply the ointment.

Instead, to Keith's surprise and confusion, someone strokes his head reassuringly.

_But why would -_

"It's okay, Keith."

Katie's voice sounds strange, like she's sad, or something.

"I'm going to be careful, all right? Just try to relax. Coran says this'll help you feel much better."

* * *

At first, Keith doesn't know how to respond. He's not used to people other than Shiro actually _caring_ about how he feels. He's used to just getting things done and taking the consequences as they come, regardless of the cost to himself.

Lance's voice interrupts his thoughts, but it doesn't seem like the Blue Paladin is trying to pick a fight.

"We're not going to hurt you, buddy. This is really, really mild stuff - at the most, it'll sting just a bit - but we're going to be really, _really_ careful. I promise."

The closest Keith's ever been to this kind of encouragement has been with Shiro - and as kind and as caring as Shiro is, he's still one person. But maybe...just...maybe...Shiro isn't the only person who cares about Keith anymore.

 _Was this - was this what having a real family was supposed to be like? People - actual_ **_people_ ** _\- caring about you?_

Keith can't answer with words, because his throat is too dry. Besides, he's not sure he would know what to say. So instead of answering, Keith just nods, keeping his eyes closed. That way, maybe neither of his friends will notice that it's taking all of his willpower not to start crying.

* * *

Ever since Keith can remember, he's always been alone. 

It's not that he _wants_ to be alone - it's just that he's always been afraid that if people saw him for who and what he really is, they'll push him away, leaving him alone and abandoned once again.

_People can't hurt you if you keep your distance._

In the past, Keith told himself countless times that as long as he _chooses_ to be alone, the loneliness doesn't hurt as much.

It isn't true, of course, but he clung to it all the same, because was the only way he could bear the isolation after Shiro disappeared on the Kereberos mission.

But now that he realizes these people actually care about him...maybe he doesn't want to remain isolated after all.


	15. Chapter 15

Someone calls his name, but Shiro is so _tired_. He doesn't want to wake up just yet, because when he does, he'll have to be strong, and confident, and reassuring, and so many other things.

_He just wants to rest._

The voice calls for him again, and Shiro knows it would be rude not to answer.

_He knows what it's like, calling out for someone who won't ever respond. He doesn't want anyone he cares for to experience that loneliness._

So, when the voice calls for him a third time, Shiro concentrates and opens his eyes.

* * *

Hunk is leaning over him, his usually cheerful face lined with worry.

"Oh, _good_ ," he says. "You're awake - for a minute there, I thought you were -"

Shiro reaches up with his left hand and pats Hunk's shoulder. Or rather, he tries to. His arm doesn't respond.

_…what…?_

Hunk sees Shiro's confusion and hastens to reassure him.

"It's okay," he says, even as he picks Shiro up again and starts walking. "It's okay, Shiro. It's just the pain meds kicking in. Remember? I helped you take them before I flew Yellow here - ‘cause Coran told me it would help your muscles relax - and reduce some of the pain, obviously - so-"

Shiro blinks back up at Hunk in some confusion. "...wait...Hunk...you're...you're not...um...freaking out…about…the blood…and…stuff?”

Damn. He can't find the right words, but Hunk beams back down at him.

"Oh, I will _definitely_ be baking a _ton_ of cookies later - but right now, we're getting you to a pod. Coran and Allura are waiting in the infirmary. We'll get you all patched up and back on your feet in no time, Superman."

Shiro frowns. "- Hunk - back in the - in the arena - did - did you -"

The Yellow Paladin’s smile falters, and he swallows once before answering.

"Yeah. We flew over and - and saw the - uh - the cage - and the stadium. Or - what was left of it."

Even through the haze of pain medication, Shiro feels shame and despair wash over him. Before he realizes it, he's trying to apologize, even though he knows the Yellow Paladin will never look at him the same way again.

Not after seeing what Shiro had done to win that fight.

"Hunk - I'm - I'm _sorry_ \- it's - it's just - I had to get Keith out of there - and - and I didn't - I didn't know what else to do. I'm...I'm sorry..."

For what seems an eternity, Hunk doesn't say anything. Shiro swallows back more useless platitudes and closes his eyes again, waiting for something - anger, disgust, horrified repulsion, _something_.

But when Hunk speaks, he doesn't sound angry. He just sounds...sad.

"I think you did everything you could to get a friend out of danger. And as for - the uh, rest of it-"

* * *

Shiro feels his muscles begin to tighten once more, ready for the condemnation he feels he deserves. 

_He'd let that monster out of its cage - and now that Hunk had seen what Shiro was willing to do to win - Hunk would be afraid of him -_

* * *

 "-the stadium wasn't a place the soldiers needed to be. They didn't have to watch the fight. They _chose_ to be there."

It's only then that Shiro hears a low growl of anger in Hunk's words - but it’s not directed towards Shiro at all.

"They chose to watch that - that _thing_ kill people, and they _liked_  it. They were the monsters. Not you."

The knowledge that Hunk still considers him a good person makes Shiro want to cry, because Hunk is one of the kindest, gentlest people that he's ever met.

But Shiro still doesn't think Hunk is correct.

"But - I - I still -"

Hunk shakes his head.

"Shiro, you didn't _ask_ to be put in that situation. When you were backed into a corner, you used your surroundings to your advantage. That's all. You didn't let that monster loose on other prisoners, and you didn't let it loose on some town full of villagers. You just - let it out of the cage.Everyone sitting in that stadium was there because they _wanted_ to be there, so you - you shouldn't think you're a monster for doing what you did. And anyway, I don't think of you as a monster. You're _Shiro_.”

Just then, they reach the infirmary. Even as Hunk steps through the doorway, Coran and Allura hurry to join him.

"How is he?"

Coran's voice sounds anxious, but Shiro doesn't know why, exactly. He feels…fine. Better than fine.

_The Yellow Paladin has a heart of gold, and if he says something, he means it. He really believes that Shiro…is…not a monster._

"The pain meds seem to be working, but he needs a pod, now. Even though I bandaged the injuries back on the planet, he's lost a lot of blood."

"I'll take him, Hunk. You can help Coran program the pod."

* * *

When Allura takes him in her arms, Shiro feels confused for a second, because now he's further away from the ground instead of closer to it. 

_Isn't Hunk taller than her...? Oh, right. Shape shifting. Why is that a surprise to him? He's seen her do it before._

"He's almost asleep, Coran. We should try and get him into a healing cryo-suit now."

At that, Shiro feels his face go red, some deep-seated instinct making its way through to the front of his thoughts.

 _Um. No, let's not do that in front of the Princess._

Fortunately, Hunk seems to sense Shiro's discomfort, and he offers to help Coran with that task while Allura is elsewhere.

Allura nods. "Of course. I understand."

Inwardly, Shiro lets out a sigh of relief.

 _Oh, good. Awkwardness avoided_.

Things sort of blur together after that, but when Shiro opens his eyes again, he's lying on a cot, dressed in one of the healing cryo-suits, and Hunk is tossing the torn and bloodied prisoners clothing through the small slot in the far wall that leads to a furnace.

* * *

Someone comes to sit by him. When Shiro glances up, he sees that Allura is running her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner.

When she sees him open his eyes, she smiles gently back down at him.

"Time to get you into the pod, Shiro. May I help you get there? It’s no trouble.”

Just for a moment, Shiro wrestles with his own pride.

_He should be able to do this by himself. He's the Black Paladin, and he needs to be strong for his team._

Then he looks around the room. Hunk is still nearby, now making sure the pod is programmed to scan for injuries throughly, including internal ones.

"We do _not_ want him to have go back in a second time," Hunk is saying. Coran nods in emphatic agreement, his friendly face intense and focused in concentration as he makes a few final adjustments to the diagnostics.

"Certainly not, Number Two."

But when Coran turns and waves over at Allura, his old smile is back.

"All right, Princess. Everything's ready."

This whole time, Allura's been running her fingers through Shiro's hair. For some reason, the simple contact is _really_ nice. Seeing Coran and Hunk work together so seamlessly is reassuring, too.

It's clear to Shiro that they don’t think any less of him for needing help.

 _Maybe he doesn't have to be strong_ **_all_ ** _the time. Maybe it's okay to let his team help him when he needs it._

So, instead of insisting he can do this on his own, he manages a brief smile back at Allura as he accepts her offer of help.

“…sure…and - thank you, Allura.”

Even as she lifts him up again, she's smiling too.

“I’m always happy to help a friend," she tells him. “Especially one like you, Shiro.”

The compliment makes his face heat up again.

Then his awareness fades away, and when the healing cycle activates, he falls into a dreamless sleep once more.


	16. Chapter 16

It takes some time for Keith to focus on trying to hear again. But once he does, he knows that he's in the Green Lion, because he'd recognize that pilot's voice anywhere. It's from his comrade-in-arms, and she is _pissed_.

"Stupid planet, stupid monsters, stupid stupid _stupid_ -"

His first impulse is to apologize - but that's a long-standing habit, back from when he was younger and among different people.

_Pidge isn't blaming him for this. She's just annoyed at the delay in getting back to the Castle._

Then another familiar voice reverberates over the comms.

"Pidge, you get head straight for the Castle - Blue and I can handle any fighters if they try to get in your way. Red's with us, and - well, let's just say that she's _not_ really leaving much for us to-"

From somewhere out of Keith's line of sight, there's a flash of light, followed by a startled yelp from Pidge.

" _Whoa_!! I didn't know Red could do _that_!"

Over the comms, Lance whoops in delight.

"Well, what did you _expect_ her to give the Galra after what they did to Keith and Shiro? A polite _greeting_?"

"No, but - AAGH! _WATCH_ IT, RED!"

Pidge's shout comes at the same time as they go into a plunging dive. Keith squeezes his eyes shut again, expecting to get thrown around, but to his great surprise, he remains lying on his back.

_Something must be keeping him in place._

He tries focusing on his surroundings, and senses that he's lying on what must be an emergency medical cot. When he opens his eyes again, he sees that there are all kinds of buckles keeping him in place, and although a few of them are tight, none of them hurt - or at least, not enough to cause him any real discomfort.

He wishes he could say the same for his injuries. The ointment's effects must be wearing off - or it just wasn't up to keeping the pain of his more significant injuries at bay.

Either way, it _hurts._

* * *

 _"_ ** _Red_** _!_ Will you **_stop_** shooting fire everywhere!"

Even as Pidge shouts at Red, the Green Lion veers to one side again, and the centrifugal force causes two of the straps on Keith's upper right arm to tighten without warning.

Keith's vision goes hazy around the edges as the bandages on that arm fade from white to red.

_It's okay. It's okay. Pidge is getting us back to the Castle. It's okay. It's -_

He hears Red's voice in his mind, but it's nothing like he expected. Instead of a concerned roar, it's an apology.

 _There's actual fear there, too, which is unusual...because Red doesn't really... fear_... _anything_...

**My Paladin, please, stay awake - your injuries are serious - you must not fall asleep just yet-**

_...sure...I'll...try.._.

**No, Paladin, you _cannot_ rest. You _must not_ rest. Not until the Princess can see to your injuries.**

_...'s...not like I'm...dying...Red..._

When no answer comes from his Lion, it takes Keith longer than it should, but then he understands what Red is truly afraid of.

... _oh..._

At that moment, the Green Lion's flight path finally levels out.

* * *

When Pidge asks her Lion a question, Green purrs in response. After that, Pidge immediately gets up from her pilot's chair and comes over to where Keith is.

As door to the pilot’s cockpit slides shut, Keith looks back at her in some slight confusion.

"...'ren't you...supposed to… _pilot_ …Green…for…this…?”

Pidge shakes her head as she sits on the cot next to him. "Green's fine. She says we'll land in less than five dobashes."

Then she sees the state of his right arm, and her eyes crease in dismay. Within seconds, she's loosening the buckles.

"Does it hurt?"

Keith thinks about lying, but she's giving him that direct, narrowed-eye look that says ‘Do _not_ bullshit me, Kogane' so he decides to be honest.

"...yeah..."

When she takes her fingers away from his arm, her black gloves are stained with gleaming streaks of red. Distantly, Keith knows that's not good, but everything's tilting to one side. It makes him dizzy, but even when he closes his eyes, it doesn't help.

_It still feels like he's falling._

Pidge is talking to him now, her words quick, almost panicked.

"Keith?! Keith, please, Green and Red and Blue say that you can't sleep yet - something about the poison affecting your heart-rate if you do - Keith - Keith - _KEITH_!"

She shakes him roughly by the shoulder, and he can't help but whimper as he slits one of his eyes open again.

"...'m... _dizzy_...Katie...I can't..."

She bites her lip in concern. 

Just then, Lance's voice comes in over the comms.

"Almost there, guys. Keith - buddy - you still with us?"

* * *

Pidge's shoulders straighten from their formerly despondent posture. Keith can tell because her outline is taller than it was before.

"Lance! Lance, Keith's really tired - but he _has_ to stay awake - can you -"

The Blue Paladin gets it, and begins straight away.

"Sure _thing_ , no _problem_ , I can do that - Keith, my _buddy_ , I'm going to keep talking to you, okay? We can talk about _anything_ you like - knives vs sniper rifles, hoverbikes vs...uh...Altean scouting pods, whatever. Sound good to you?"

But when Pidge looks back at Keith hopefully, Keith only swallows and shakes his head slowly from side to side, because he doesn't want to talk. His throat hurts, and his head, and his chest. He can't remember a time they didn't.

_...he just wants to rest..._

"Keith?"

Lance's voice is worried now, and Keith can see that Pidge's fingers have gone white gripping the side of his cot. He feels bad that he can’t talk to Lance, so he tries to explain. At the very least, he can tell Lance that he’s not trying to ignore him on purpose, or something like that.

“…can’t…really...talk…much...” he manages. “…headache...”

Then Pidge must have activated a comms screen or something, because now Keith can see the Blue Paladin’s expression, even if it is blurry. Lance is already hastening to reassure the Red Paladin.

“Oh, that’s okay, Keith! Um - oh! I could talk to you, help distract you, if you want. Would - would that help?"

Keith wishes he could lie, and say that it would, but the lights and the noise make his head hurt, so he shakes his head from side to side again. Even that slight movement costs him. 

"...'m s-sorry…Lance…"

The pain in his head is now so intense that it takes Keith a few seconds to find the words he's looking for. 

“…I…just…don’t feel…s-so good..."

Pidge hovers at the edge of his vision. Her helmet is gone now. Keith can't remember if she had it on a minute ago. She remains silent, but Lance is talking again, his usually cheerful face pinched tight with concern. He’s quieter than usual, too.

_…Lance is…never…this…quiet…_

“Don’t worry about it, Keith, okay? It’s going to be fine, oka-”

Just then, something white and glittering comes into view. The light spears into Keith’s eyes, and he can’t help but flinch away from it.

“Oh, _good_ , it’s the Castle - wait, Keith? What’s wrong?”

The concern in Lance’s voice is almost palpable as Pidge lowers the lights in the Green Lion’s cabin. Keith wishes he could answer, but it’s too much. The light, the noise, the pain, everything is just far too much.

His throat hurts, his head is pounding, and the cuts and burns all over his body feel as if they’re only minutes old instead of hours. He’s burning up, and worst of all, there’s nothing he can do to escape the pain.

All he can do is close his eyes and try not make any noise as he starts to cry.

* * *

Even as the first silent tears begin to trickle down Keith’s face, Pidge is taking action.

“Lance, I’m going to have to take you off the comms screen - it’s too bright - ”

“Wait - what’s-”

“-and tell Allura we’ve just hit Code Red -”

At those words, Lance’s questions abruptly cease, and his voice becomes steadier.

“You got it, I’ll see you both in the Castle.”

With that, Lance is gone. The only sound in the room now is the rumble and purr of the Green Lion, and Pidge turns all her attention back to keeping Keith conscious until they reach the Castle.

"Keith, you can do this. Don’t give up. Just three more dobashes before Green lands - and Allura's meeting us in the hanger -”

But she doesn’t know if he can make it that long.

Not unless she does something.

* * *

Keith is aware that Pidge is asking her Lion a question, but he can’t make out the words. The pain is growing fainter, but his sight's fading too, even though he's trying to keep his eyes open.

_...at least his injuries don't hurt as much as they did before..._

Then Pidge is right next to him, telling him that she's sorry.

Keith doesn't understand.

_...for...what...?_

Her face is chalk-white with some emotion he can't name. 

"This."

Then her hand presses down on his chest, and the gashes beneath the bandages begin to bleed anew. It hurts enough to make Keith hiss in startled pain. He tries to sit up, but the safety harness keeps him in place. 

_\- Pidge - what are you -_

Although Pidge seems to be applying scarcely any pressure on the injury at all, dark blood wells out from between the bandages and begins to run down the tattered remains of his black under-suit. Keith can't keep from exhaling sharply as another harsh wave of agony hits him. 

 _\- the pain is - worse now - it's_ **_so_ ** _much worse -_

Pidge's fingers tremble against his skin, but she doesn't move her hand away from the spreading stain of crimson, even though she goes as pale as winter snow when Keith looks up at her in almost desperate confusion. 

He tries not to whimper, but it hurts too much.

"... _Katie_...?"

At the sound of her name, tears well up in her eyes. When she speaks, her voice shakes, but it's still strong enough to hear clearly.

"You _have_ to stay awake. Green tells me we’re less than two dobashes away from her bay."

Then Red is in Keith's mind, telling him that it will all be over soon, and that Pidge is only doing her best to keep him alive. More than anything, Keith wants to believe what Red is telling him, but the pain makes thinking difficult. 

* * *

"It's okay, Keith. We're almost at Green's bay. It's going to be okay."

But Keith can't see the Green Paladin clearly anymore, even though she's right beside him. All he knows for certain is that the pain is growing worse with every passing second, and he's _scared,_ because he _can't see her_ , and he doesn't want to be alone. 

In desperation, Keith tries to reach out towards his friend, but the abrupt movement causes the burned skin on his upper right arm to tear part-way open once more, causing him to scream in agony. It's not a sound that's easily recognizable as human.

The weight on his chest immediately vanishes, and then both of Pidge's hands are carefully cradling his face. 

_He still can't see her clearly._

"Keith, it's okay, we're here now, it's okay -"

Even though he wants to believe her, it's **not** okay, it's **not**.

Red is telling Keith that the Princess is just outside, and will be able to help the pain go away, but as the Green Lion lands in her bay, another wave of agony makes awareness of everything except himself and Pidge fade and blur away completely. 

 _"It - hurts - Katie - it_ **_hurts -"_ **

"I know," she says, and to his dismay, Keith realizes that she's begun to cry. "I'm sorry, Keith. I'm _really_ sorry.” 

_No, Katie, please don't cry - it's okay - I know you didn't want to hurt me - please don't cry - it's okay -_

* * *

When the Green Lion's paws finally touch the ground, Keith shudders at the impact. His face has gone almost completely bone-white with pain, and the cuts and burns all over his shoulders and torso create a ghastly contrast against the pale skin.

Pidge is so distressed at the sight that she almost closes her eyes, but to her astonishment, Keith reaches out and grasps hold of her hand with his own. At first, she thinks he must want to push her away, to keep her from touching him again - gods know that’s what _she_ would do in this situation- but instead, he gently grips her fingers, as if wanting to remain in contact with her.

"...'s okay...Katie..."

Only one of his eyes is half-way open, but the Red Paladin's dull gaze is steady, even though sweat stands out on his forehead, and every breath causes him further pain.

“…'s okay..."

 Pidge sniffs and scrubs at her eyes with her free hand. "I'm sorry -" she starts to say again, but her heart nearly stops with fear when the Red Paladin's one good eye slides shut and he slumps backwards onto the cot. His right arm falls to the side, the bandaged fingertips now stained red. 

"Keith! Keith, _no_!" 

* * *

Even as fear grips Pidge's heart, she hears a roar of terror from nearby, and even though she _knows_ it’s the Red Lion, it feels as if it’s coming from _all_ of the Lions at once.

Just then, the door behind her opens, and Allura is hurrying towards the two of them, Lance following close behind. As the Princess swiftly unbuckles the safety harness, Lance comes over to stand by Pidge, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"...Allura? Is he - is he going to be okay?”

The Altean Princess doesn't look up from her work. Although Keith’s face is still drawn tight with the pain of his injuries, his eyes are closed, and his chest barely rises at all.

"I can't say yet. We have to get him to the Infirmary."

The final safety strap falls away, and Allura wastes no time in lifting Keith up in her arms. As the the three of them begin to hurry towards the heart of the Castle, Lance stops and turns around.

“You go,” he tells Pidge. “I’ll catch up.”

As she vanishes after Allura, Lance cups his hands to help his voice carry and shouts as loudly as he can towards the Red Lion’s bay.

“It’s gonna be okay, Red! He’s gonna be okay!”

Then Lance turns around and races after Pidge.


	17. Chapter 17

Days later, when Keith stumbles out of the pod, Shiro is the first one to catch him.

“Hey, Keith. You okay?”

Keith blinks and looks up at his friend. “I’m fine - are you okay?”

Shiro grins. “I’m fine.”

Then they hug. It’s not for very long, because the rest of the team joins in almost immediately.

“Team Hug!” Lance shouts, barreling into Shiro, almost knocking all three of them over. Pidge says nothing but cannonballs into Keith’s back, wrapping both her arms around his middle and burying her face into his shoulder. Allura and Hunk end up hugging everyone in the center of the group at once, and Coran completes the hug by somehow managing to hug everyone _simultaneously_.

“We were so worried about you two!” Hunk bawls.

“Don’t _ever_ do that again.” Pidge mutters.

“It wouldn’t be the same without you guys,” Lance says. “Even you, Mullet.”

Keith glares back at Lance, but he’s half-smiling. “Scared, eh? Thought so.”

Lance glares back. “I wasn’t _scared_.”

Allura shakes her head. “No, you were terrified. We all were.”

Coran says nothing, but hugs them all tighter, mumbling something about space dust in the infirmary.

* * *

The hug goes on for a nice, long time.

Then Keith remembers something.

“Hey, Shiro?”

“Yeah?”

“Back in the tunnel - did you actually call that thing ‘Koh’? Like, from that show?”

Shiro shrugs. “It seemed a fitting name, is all.”

Lance’s head shoots up, and he looks from Shiro to Keith and back again in genuine delight, a huge smile crossing his face.

“He did _what_?!”

Pidge’s glasses dig into the side of Keith’s face as she pokes her head around to look up at both of them.

“Details. _Now_.”

Shiro shakes his head. “It wouldn’t make any sense -”

“Oh, _that_ doesn’t matter at all,” Hunk answers. “We just want to know why you called it Koh right before you kicked its ass.”

From the center of the hug, Lance sees Allura and Coran exchange puzzled looks.

“It’s - uh - from a show, back on Earth,” he explains. “ ‘Koh’ is the name of a character - and I think we’d all like to know why Shiro called the monster that name right at the end.”

Shiro lets out a sigh. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you.”

Everyone looks back at him with varying degrees of curiosity, puzzlement, and excitement, and he looks back at them as seriously as he knows how.

“It’s because…I’m actually the Avatar.”

Amid the laughter that follows, Lance jumps clear of the hug in order to flail his arms around, punching the air with delight.

“SHIRO JUST MADE A JOKE!”

Pidge hasn’t let go yet, even though Keith can tell she’s still hiccuping with laughter.

“No - no really,” she says. “Why?”

Shiro thinks for a moment. “I’m not sure,” he says. “I think I just… got tired of being afraid.”

Keith nods. “Makes sense to me.”

Hunk sniffs again, hugging them all tighter. “That is so neat, you guys, it is just so, _so_ neat.”

Lance re-joins the hug again. “Aw, look at us, bein’ all metaphorical and stuff,” he says, still grinning.

The hug doesn’t end for quite some time. No one wants to be the first to let go.

* * *

Eventually, they all head off towards their rooms to rest.

As Shiro closes the door to his room, he hears the Black Lion reach out to him in a tone that’s something close to a purr.

_Rest now, my Paladin. You have done much today._

When Shiro concentrates, he can feel his Lion’s presence in the back of his mind.

 _How are we doing this?_ Shiro thinks back at her. _I thought we could only talk to each other when I’m inside the cockpit._

There’s a different rumbling sound, almost like a laugh.

_I just thought it might be…good for you to hear that…that I am proud of you._

* * *

_That_ causes Shiro to stop mid-step in the center of his room.

_You’re…what…?_

The Black Lion purrs again in reply.

 _It is no small thing to face your fears, my Paladin. I am_ **_very_ ** _proud of you, and I am glad that you are my pilot._

Shiro manages to sit down on the edge of his bunk before his legs give way.

_…wow…_

He doesn’t realize he hasn’t answered until the Black Lion asks him if he is all right.

_…yeah…yeah, I’m fine…um…thanks, Black. That means a lot._

His Lion purrs once more before retreating.

_Rest well, Shiro._

He does.

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to the mods for organizing this event! :-) I really enjoyed working on this minibang fic and my partner's art is amazing!!! :D
> 
> Make sure to tell Arrowcomix how incredible their artwork is! :D :D   
> As usual, comments and feedback are always appreciated. <3 <3
> 
> I'm also on Tumblr - https://rangergirl3.tumblr.com/
> 
> And check out Arrowcomix' amazing work! https://arrowcomix.tumblr.com/


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